Italy recorded a whopping 317% increase in migrants and refugees coming to the country by sea in the first three months of the year, compared to the same period in 2022, said an official of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In January-March this year, around 26,800 migrants arrived in Italy by sea, compared to 6,400 in 2022 during the same months, Federico Fossi, senior public information associate at the UNHCR in Italy, told Anadolu news agency.
"For the third consecutive year, we see an increase in the number of people arriving to Italy by sea," he said.
People fleeing war and persecution, and others escaping economic crisis, make up the composition of people on boats crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to get to the country.
Less severe winter
The UN refugee agency official explained that various factors contributed to the rising migrant influx to Italy.
While sea arrivals typically increased during the spring and summer, this past winter also saw a surge in migrant crossings as temperatures were higher than expected.
"We had a relatively mild winter. So, arrivals did not stop during the winter months as it happened, for example, (in) some of the years.
"Now, of course, there is an increase due to the good weather conditions," he said.
Violence
Another factor is the conflict and crisis arising in some of the refugees' and migrants' countries, as well as in transit nations.
Citing examples, Fossi said people fleeing war and persecution, rights violations, rampant inflation, economic crisis, food insecurity, and climate emergencies were coming to Italy.
"There is the situation in the countries of origin of people who are forced to flee their homes or who choose to leave their homes. There is ... living conditions and the humanitarian conditions also in countries of asylum and countries of transit."
Alternative route
The number of particularly African migrants getting on boats for Italy from Tunisia, the main country of departure, is on the rise this year, Fossi said.
Around 58% of all sea arrivals to Italy are from Tunisia, followed by 38% from Libya, which in the past had been the main country for departure.
"In the past, Libya was the main country of departure that tells us that there is an influence of what is happening in Tunisia in terms of you know, the economic crisis and, you know, the crackdown on sub-Saharan nationals."
Tunisia treatment
Tunisia is currently in the midst of political and economic turmoil. According to media reports, nationals of the Ivory Coast and Guinea are fleeing the North African country after the government claimed that the migrants were involved in criminal activities in the country.
Now, many refugees fearing violence, arrest, and deportation are looking for ways to leave Tunisia.
Figures provided by Fossi also supported this perspective, noting that there had been an increase in the number of sub-Saharans arriving in Italy this year. He said that around 17% were from the Ivory Coast, followed closely by 16% from Guinea.
South Asians also make up a substantial portion of those coming from Tunisia, including 9% from Bangladesh and 8% from Pakistan.
Shorter distance
The central Mediterranean route, which goes through Libya and Tunisia to Italy, is deemed the most dangerous sea crossing for migrating to Europe.
"Now, the central Mediterranean route is the most dangerous. And as an average, we say that from 70-80% of all victims in the Mediterranean are registered in the central Mediterranean route," Fossi said, noting that distance and unseaworthy vessels make the route even riskier.
Reaching Italy from Tunisia, takes about a night, while the trip can take up to five days from Libya, depending on which area of the country the migrants embark.
According to the International Organization for Migratio n (IOM), around 441 migrants have gone missing or perished in the central Mediterranean so far this year.
Numbers likely to keep rising
The official also indicated that the number of people arriving by sea would continue to swell because of the "good weather" and ongoing conflicts in countries from which refugees hailed.
"We have to say that unfortunately, the situation in the countries of origin and in the countries of transit of asylum is not getting better. We know that there are lots of conflicts. We do not see any solution to lots of conflicts."
According to the UNHCR, in 2022, around 105,000, refugees and asylum seekers came to Italy by sea.
How does Italy treat the migrants?
There have been reports of ill treatment by the Italian authorities of migrants arriving through the sea. Human Rights Watch in February this year criticised Italy for its handling of African migrants.
It said ''in its obsession to keep migrants and asylum seekers away from its shores, Italy is paying for tens of thousands of people to be intercepted and returned to Libya, where they face abuses that the UN describes as possible crimes against humanity.''
The country has recently passed a legislation that activists say has made rescue of migrants at sea much more difficult.
The new law forces migrant aid vessels to make just one rescue attempt at a time, which critics say risks increasing the number of drownings in the central Mediterranean, the most dangerous crossing in the world for people seeking asylum in Europe.
But the Italian authorities have always defended their treatment of migrants with Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi saying more international efforts were needed to stem the tide ''irregular migration.''
In the wake of a migrant boat accident in which more than 60 people died in February, Mr Piantedosi said ''it is absolutely necessary to fight firmly against irregular migration, handled by unscrupulous smugglers who, to get rich, organize these improvised trips, with inadequate boats and in prohibitive conditions.”
He called for any possible “initiative to block the departures and avoid encouraging the crossings.”
