Govt to declare state of emergency on migration - sources

(ANSA) - ROME, APR 11 - The government may declare a national state of emergency on migration at a cabinet meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, ANSA has learned.
    Sources said the decision follows a meeting on Monday between Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and Minister for Civil Protection and the Sea, Nello Musumeci.
    Speaking to Radio Anch'io on Tuesday, Musumeci described the move as a "very likely scenario".
    "I spoke with my Interior (Ministry) colleague Piantedosi yesterday, there is a condition of absolute emergency," he said.
    "It is a problem that is destined to remain with us for at least the next ten years, a condition that puts state infrastructure under strain and that is inevitable because we are talking about human beings who have rights and toward whom we must take a responsible approach," continued Musumeci, who is also the former governor of Italy's island region of Sicily, the landing place for many migrants and refugees arriving in Italy by sea.
    "The state of emergency should facilitate procedures," said Musumeci.
    "We are talking about a phenomenon never seen in the past. The islands alone cannot deal with this state of emergency," he concluded.
    In recent weeks Italy has seen a significant rise in the number of migrants and refugees arriving on its southern shores from north Africa, with over 3,000 people landing over the last three days alone.
    38 people have also been reported dead and a further 18 missing in two shipwrecks off the coast of Tunisia. (ANSA).