Rome, August 15. (ADNKRONOS) – The number of migrants arriving in Italy has decreased by 62.36% since the beginning of 2024 until July 31, bringing the total to 33,480: in the same period in 2023 there were 88,939 arrivals. These are the data reported in the Ferragosto Dossier of the Interior Ministry 2024. Given the decrease in migratory flows, by 64% in the Central Mediterranean and 75% along the Balkan route, there is a parallel increase in the number of arrivals along the Western Mediterranean and Eastern routes, which particularly affected Spain and Greece.
According to Frontex data, 29,196 disembarkations were recorded in the first seven months of the year in Spain, i.e. +153% compared to the same period in 2023, and 29,673 disembarkations related to Greece from 1 January to 31 July 2024, i.e. +57.% compared to the first seven months of 2023. 58,578 irregular migrants were blocked from leaving Libya (12,548) and Tunisia (46,030) while 3,079 migrants were repatriated since the beginning of the year (+19.71%). 1,525 people arrived in Italy, mostly Afghans, Syrians and Eritreans, through legal access channels.
“At the same time, repatriations have increased by 20%, also thanks to the recent exceptional operations carried out by all police stations to remove illegal immigrants from our country,” said Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi in relation to the Ferragosto Interior Ministry’s operations rooms of the police forces, firefighters, Civil Protection Department, port authorities and local police in the capital Rome.
“This year alone, nearly 60,000 migrants have been prevented from leaving the coasts of Libya and Tunisia, countries where, with the support of international organizations, more than 9,000 migrants have benefited in the last six months alone from voluntary repatriation operations – Piantedosi explained – a 360-degree strategy that has led this year to a decrease in disembarkations on our coasts of more than 62% compared to 2023, compared to an increase in arrivals of more than 150% along the Western Mediterranean route and 57% along the Eastern Mediterranean route.”
“It is particularly important what happened in Lampedusa where in the first seven months of this year 21,000 migrants arrived, 64% less than in the same period in 2023 when there were 58,000 migrants,” he said.
On the other hand, 98,353 asylum applications were submitted between 1 January and 31 July 2024, an increase of 35.73% compared to the same period in 2023, when 72,460 applications were registered. The applications examined were 51,797 (+61.30%) and in particular 3,522 (+17.9%) for refugee status, 5,905 (+58.5%) for subsidiary protection, 32,011 (+91.7%) applications were rejected, in 3,263 cases (+147.9%) the applicants were unavailable or had given up.
Between 1 January and 31 July 2024, 644 decisions (+65%) were taken regarding international protection: 145 (+104%) revocation of international protection, 305 (+952%) termination of international protection, 194 (-33%) confirmation of international protection and 1,535 (+1,625%) initiation of termination/annulment procedures.
The number of residence permits issued since the beginning of the year until July 31 in Italy has increased by 11% (1,210,943) compared to the first seven months of 2023 when 1,089,815 were issued. In particular, the permits issued for subordinate work are 319,504 (+13%), 48,780 (+7%) for self-employment, 200,735 (+5%) for family reunification, 641,924 (+12.5%) for other reasons including study permits and special cases.
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