It is not a new phenomenon for Lampedusa to be used as a political symbol of a supposed invasion of European migrants. However, the recent emergency situation, where up to 15,000 people arrived on the island in a matter of days, should have been anticipated and properly addressed by a country as large as Italy. The crisis on the island is primarily due to its small population of just 6,000.
In 2011, Lampedusa experienced a similar wave of boat landings following the Tunisian revolution. During that time, large numbers of people crossed the Mediterranean to escape political unrest after the collapse of the Tunisian regime. The population of the island doubled within weeks, leading to a political outcry. Silvio Berlusconi’s government, which had made a deal with Libya to halt migrant departures, threatened to repatriate all Tunisians directly from Lampedusa. For two months, the Italian authorities abandoned both migrants and islanders, leaving them in inhumane conditions. It was the community, the church, and NGOs that stepped in to provide meals and clothing.
The crisis in 2011 mirrors the current situation in both the conditions in North Africa (with Tunisia facing an economic crisis, Morocco dealing with an earthquake, and Libya suffering from disastrous floods) and the political landscape in Italy (with ministers from the populist League party running the interior ministry). Unfortunately, it seems that no lessons have been learned.
The same solutions are being proposed: agreements with African dictators to stop migrant departures instead of implementing long-term migration policies. Similarly, there are promises of strict repatriation measures, which even those making the promises know are not feasible.
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