The severe overcrowding that the
migrant hotspot on the island of Lampedusa had endured for
several days was over on Sunday after a series of operations to
transfer people to other pars of Italy.
The number of people at the hotspot peaked at 3,306 on Friday,
while it has a capacity to host only around 400, after a series
of migrant-boat arrivals.
The number was down to 513 on Sunday afternoon, when 295 people
were taken to Porto Empedocle, in Sicily, with a ferry.
"Normality has returned," said Ignazio Schintu, the director of
emergency and rescue operations for the Italian Red Cross, which
runs the hotspot.
"By keeping this pace, transferring 2,500 people to the mainland
in 36 hours, it is possible to not have an emergency".
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