The quest for a better future in a continent starved of opportunities has left many African youths with a dilemma. The journey to Europe and the USA, which has for a long time been sold as the best solution for the realization of dreams, is proving to be a mirage. On this week's 77 Percent, we hear from young African migrants in Sicily, Italy.
The Open Arms rescue ship, run by the Spanish organization of the same name, said on Sunday that it was leaving Trapani on the Italian island of Sicily to head back to Barcelona. There it will change its crew and head back out for its 79th rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea.
Over 200 migrants have disembarked the humanitarian vessel Open Arms off the coast of Sicily and are undergoing quarantine. About a hundred migrants have died in the Mediterranean Sea this week alone.
The migrant hotspot of Lampedusa is on the verge of collapse after at least 460 people arrived on the Italian island in less than 24 hours. Several hundred migrants were to be tested for COVID-19 and transferred to a quarantine ship.
Three unions in the Italian city of Catania have set up two hotlines to report cases of exploitation of day laborers and gangmastering. Many farmworkers in the region are migrants.
The Italian coast guard confirmed that on Sunday night it had saved six people from a boat that is thought to have set off from Algeria 10 days earlier. At least five of the migrants' companions died en route.
An Italian association, ARCI, has expressed its "profound worries" after several asylum seekers housed in various structures across Italy revealed they are being tested and sent to quarantine ships off the coast when they test positive for COVID-19. Some of these asylum seekers have been in Italy several years.
After a three-week-long lull, landings have resumed on the Italian island of Lampedusa. A total of 37 landings were reported between Saturday and Sunday October 10-11 which brought the arrival of over 800 migrants.
According to reports, Abou was just 15 years old when he died on Monday. A migrant from Ivory Coast, he was rescued by the Open Arms ship in September and spent 12 days quarantining on the ferry Allegra off Palermo. Now questions are being asked about his death. An investigation is underway in Sicily.
The southern French port city of Marseille has declared itself “ready to welcome” the migrant rescue ship Alan Kurdi when it arrives. On Wednesday the ship’s crew said it was heading for France after being refused entry by Italy and Malta.
The humanitarian rescue ship Alan Kurdi, operated by the organization Sea-Eye, has announced that it is setting sail for France after it was refused entry to ports in Italy and Malta. The ship rescued 133 migrants over the weekend.
The Italian national ombudsman for detainee rights last week visited a quarantine ship for migrants anchored off Palermo. Mauro Palma said that he had found conditions on the Rhapsody much better than those in previous temporary facilities provided in overcrowded hotspots in the country.