ROME — In the first five days of November, 2,462 irregular immigrants landed in Italy despite strict new anti-COVID regulations, Italian media reported Monday.
One video circulating on social media shows a large rubber dinghy loaded with young African males preparing to land in Lampedusa.
The migrants smile and one young man waves a scarf with “Italia” written on it. The voice of someone off camera encourages them to look happy and invites them to repeat the words “freedom, freedom, Italy, freedom.”
According to official statistics, 29,952 irregular migrants have arrived in Italy by sea since the beginning of 2020, but no one knows exactly how many moved on to other European countries, how many were repatriated, and how many remained in Italy.
As of this date in 2019, fewer than a third as many irregular migrants (9,944) had disembarked in Italy.