Annaba-Sardinia: “New crossing point for Syrian refugees in Algeria towards Italy”
The Italian Coast Guard teams seized several boats carrying Algerian “Haragas” or illegal immigrants on the sea shores of Sardinia, and the bulk of interceptions also targeted Syrian refugees who were arrested together with the incoming groups of Algerian “Haragas”.
This new development indicates a shift of a crossing point for those Syrian refugees now present in Algeria in their attempts to reach Italy and then other parts of Europe.
Italian media reported that the Syrian refugees who were rounded up were being separated in a special Centre with a view to verifying their nationalities and identities, while the Algerian “Haragas” will be deported later on to their native country.
In this context, Italian investigators did not rule out a return of the covert activity of migrants’ smuggling networks from the Algerian far-eastern province of Annaba towards Sardinia in Italy, in exchange for loads money wrenched by the venal smugglers from the hapless migrants.
More than 613,000 migrants have crossed the Mediterranean in 2015, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said earlier this week.
During the same period, at least 3,117 people have gone missing or have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to reach Europe.
The announcement came as Paolo Gentiloni, Italy’s foreign minister, met United Nations Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon at Milan Expo to address the burning issue.
During the meeting, Mr Gentiloni said Europe had reached “a crossroads” where it could either “close itself off out of selfishness” or “confront the situation head on”.