EASTER TIDES

Unusually, practically all the UK media are carrying the story of the 1,500 migrants saved in the Mediterranean by the Italian Navy and Coast Guard over the Easter weekend.  Here such numbers are now so common that the story has made fewer headlines, though this Easter is being dubbed La Pasqua degli sbarchi [the Easter of the Landings].

The Italian authorities were first made aware that more migrant boats were in trouble when three of the latter sent rescue requests to Rome via satellite phone from off the coast of Libya. When Italian Coast Guard vessels reached these boats, they soon spotted two other migrant boats which needed help and an Italian naval ship already in the area was also directed to the scene. The migrants were rescued and have been taken to Lampedusa, Porto Empedocle and Augusta. Fortunately there have been no reported deaths.

In addition, over 150 migrants from Somalia, Nigeria and Eritrea reached the beach of Caulonia in Calabria after their boat ran aground a few metres from it. The authorities were alerted to this landing when police found a group of about 20 of the migrants walking along a main road. They then found the rest of the boat's passengers, including around 40 women and children, some of whom were very young. The migrants say their boat left Libya one week ago and that the adults had each paid €2,000 to make the crossing. All these migrants are said to be in good health.

Sadly, Il Fatto Quotidiano is reporting tonight that a group of parents in Focà di Caulonia have blocked the entrance to a school so that the building cannot be used for initial processing and healthcare of the migrants. The Mayor of the town has said that this is the action of "a few people who are afraid" and has expressed regret over the incident.