Humanitarian organization Intersos has said that the implementation of the Salvini Decree has created an "emergency" because thousands of youths over the age of 18 can now no longer stay in reception centers. The situation in Sicily is reportedly particularly bad.
One of the migrants saved by the Mare Jonio rescue ship had previously crossed the Strait of Sicily and was sent back to Libya five times. The man's body has marks of torture on it, allegedly suffered in Libyan detention centers. Many of those onboard the ship tell similar stories of violence and torture.
The Italian organization “Mediterranea Saving Humans” is only a few months old, having been formed in October 2018. Now its ship, the Mare Jonio, is the latest migrant rescue vessel to enter into a stand-off with the Italian government after it saved 49 people from the Mediterranean on March 18.
According to figures released by the Italian government, 335 migrants landed in Italy between January 1 and March 15 this year, compared to 5,945 during the same period in 2018 - a 94 percent decline. Expulsions have quadrupled compared to arrivals during the same period, the vast majority of which were forced.
The Catania prosecutor's office has declared that the NGO ship Sea Watch did not commit a crime in taking a route to Italy. However, it said the ship is "technically unsuitable" for performing migrant rescues at sea.
Music school students and migrants from hosting centers in Palermo, Sicily, are performing in a multi-cultural orchestra to promote integration.
Large migrant boats full of passengers have decreased in the Strait of Sicily, but there is a rising concern in Italy over the possible return of smaller vessels that can evade patrols and land autonomously on the country's shores.
Interior Minister Matteo Salvini is reportedly being probed for his role in preventing migrants rescued at sea from disembarking in Sicily. Meanwhile, a deal has been reached to allow the migrants to leave the ship.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has announced that he will reduce the capacity of the Mineo migrant reception center in Sicily. The center is considered the largest in Europe, and has made headlines in recent years with episodes of serious violence and corruption scandals.
Rome had threatened to return the 177 migrants to Libya amid a standoff with Malta over who should take them. Local media reports suggested it would take some negotiations before the migrants are allowed to disembark.
The latest migrant arrivals in Italy have involved smaller, more modest boats and fewer passengers, in an effort to avoid being detected at sea.
At the Italian migrant hotspot of Pozzallo, the first house for migrant children helps them forget their traumatic past.