Brussels, 14/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - Since early 2011, the Italian island of Lampedusa has become the primary point of entry into the EU for illegal immigrants, thus supplanting the Greek-Turkish border, the European agency, Frontex, which oversees the EU external borders, announced on Tuesday 14 June, reported by AFP.
Thousands fleeing the conflict in Libya and the situation prevailing in Tunisia and Egypt have sought to enter Europe by maritime means. Arrivals are on a daily basis, sometimes in very dangerous conditions, especially for those coming in over-laden boats from Libya, said Gil Arias Fernandes, Frontex Deputy Executive Director.
During the first quarter of 2011, 32,906 illegal immigrants were counted at the borders of the EU, compared to 14,857 during the first quarter of 2010, Gil Arias Fernandes said in Athens. Out of this total, during the first three months of the year, 22,000 people arrived on the island of Lampedusa compared to the 7,200 who arrived in Greece, Frontex states.
In 2010, the Greek-Turkish border was the main entry point for illegal migration into the EU. During the first three months of that year, AFP points out, 13,000 illegal migrants reached the Union via Greece, coming from Turkey and Albania, with only 147 coming via Italy.
Frontex takes the view that Turkey nonetheless remains the main border crossing country of the EU for illegal immigration, Fernandes stressed. Between November 2010 and early March 2011, Frontex' “RABIT” mission had allowed the number of illegal migrants coming from Turkey to be reduced to 52 daily as opposed to 245 daily before the mission was put in place. Today, however, with calmer weather, the flow of arrivals is increasing to around 110-112 per day, Gil Arias Fernandes said. (S.P./transl.jl)