About 27,500 Nigerians and Eritreans arrived Italy in October
Tragedies have however affected those migrating illegally in November
In October, about 27,500 Nigerian and Eritreans entered Italy illegally according to numbers provided by the European union border agency known as Frontex. Frontex also said on Wednesday November 16 that this was the highest they have seen in one month. The surge in migrants it was said was due to favorable weather conditions.
It was also the highest monthly number ever recorded in the Central Mediterranean and was almost double of the number that arrived in the month of September.
The agancy Frontex explained: “Relatively poor weather conditions in September, people smugglers loaded more people than usual on unseaworthy vessels before winter makes crossings impossible.”
In September alone, 127 bodies were recovered on the sea stretch between Italy and North Africa and it is likely that many others drowned whose bodies were not recovered. Frontex also had this to say: “Tragedies are continuing in November as the Italian coastguard recovered one body and 580 migrants were rescued in Wednesday sea operations. This added to seven bodies recovered and almost 900 saved Monday and Tuesday.”
On the other hand, Greece was closed by an EU-Turkey repatriation deal and tighter border controls. So it is relatively difficult to get into Greece. According to the agency, “Greece recorded 1,700 landings last month, compared to more than 170,000 in October, 2015. Migrants mostly came from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.”
Most of the Nigerians who seek to enter Europe are doing so in search of better opportunities or to escape hardship of some sort. Other migrants are escaping wars and famine. Meanwhile, the Italian authorities are also trying hard to checkmate the nightmare stirred by about 12,000 prostitutes from Nigeria who arrived Italy between 2015 and 2016.
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