- Title: ITALY: Thousands of migrants wait to leave Lampedusa
- Date: 3rd April 2011
- Summary: LAMPEDUSA, ITALY (APRIL 2, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SUNRISE OVER MAKESHIFT TENT CAMP WINNIE THE POOH TOWEL USED AS DOOR TO IMPROVISED TENT MIGRANTS SITTING IN TENT CAMP MIGRANTS WALKING PAST MAKESHIFT TENTS FLUTTERING IN THE WIND MIGRANTS IN TENT CAMP OVERLOOKING HARBOUR SEAGULLS FLYING OVER TENT CAMP VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS BY MAKESHIFT TENTS MIGRANT WASHING HIMSELF WITH A BOTTLE OF WATER MIGRANTS IN TENT CAMP ITALIAN AND RED CROSS FLAGS FLUTTERING IN THE WIND IN THE HARBOUR SUPERBA FAST FERRY NEAR SHORE OF LAMPEDUSA MIGRANTS DESCENDING ON HARBOUR FROM HILLS MIGRANTS STARTING QUEUE FOR BREAKFAST HAND OUTS MIGRANTS QUEUING NEXT TO POLICE VANS FORKLIFT BRINGING BREAKFAST PORTIONS MAKESHIFT TENT FLUTTERING IN THE WIND MIGRANT WASHING HIS FACE MIGRANTS IN TENT CAMP WITH FAST FERRY IN BACKGROUND MIGRANTS LINED UP ON PIER MAKESHIFT TENTS ON PIER MIGRANTS WARMING THEMSELVES AROUND OPEN FIRE ON PIER VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS SLEEPING ON THE GROUND ON PIER VARIOUS OF BREAKFAST PORTIONS BEING HANDED OUT MIGRANTS STANDING IN HARBOUR, DRINKING MILK AND EATING BUNS MIGRANTS ON PIER VARIOUS OF MIGRANTS BY FIRE IN TENT CAMP VARIOUS OF NAVY SHIP SAN MARCO NEAR SHORE
- Embargoed: 18th April 2011 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Italy, Italy
- Country: Italy
- Topics: International Relations
- Reuters ID: LVA4XMK8DX5915K0LKK9VQKLH0UR
- Story Text: Some 3,000 migrants still remained in a makeshift encampment in Lampedusa on Saturday (April 2) morning, seeking shelter from strong winds as they waited to be transferred to other parts of Italy.
Human rights group Amnesty International and medical charity Medecines Sans Frontiers (MSF) on Friday (April 1) deemed the conditions unacceptable and criticised the Italian government's handling of the immigrant crisis on the island.
MSF said there were just 16 chemical toilets for a migrant population which has regularly outnumbered Lampedusa's normal population of 5,000.
The migrants receive just 1.5 litres of water per person per day, compared with recommended standards for refugee camps of 20 litres, it said.
About 20,000 immigrants, mainly from Tunisia, have reached the Italian island in recent weeks. Progress in transferring them elsewhere in Italy has been slow, leaving thousands stranded in the makeshift camp.
A strong smell of unwashed bodies hangs over the port where the mainly young male migrants, immediately recognisable in their unwashed jeans and short jackets, kill time, wandering around the streets and hillsides of the island.
In recent days the migrants have organised protests in the centre of the island, demanding to be transferred to other parts of Italy.
The Italian government deployed ships to move the migrants to centres elsewhere in Italy but rough seas are hampering the plan.
A fast ferry "Superba" and navy ship San Marco could be seen waiting for better weather conditions off the shore of Lampedusa on Saturday morning.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi visited Lampedusa earlier in the week and promised the island would be cleared of migrants by the weekend. But even the premier, whom locals celebrated as "Silvio the Saviour" has been left powerless at the face of nature's forces. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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