Some 2,000 Algerian “Harraga” Have Arrived In Sardinia Since Beginning Of The Year

Nearly 2,000 Algerian “Harraga” or illegal migrants have arrived in the Italian island of Sardinia since the beginning of this year,” said Fabio Melloni, Director of the Italian online newspaper Admaioramedia.it.

“The political parties and local authorities have urged the central government in Rome to pressure Algeria to stop this illegal migrants’ flow and to conduct more observations along its coasts.

Mr. Fabio Meloni said in a statement to “Echorouk” that this year there was a significant influx of Algerians on the island of Sardinia, the last of which was the arrival of 20 Algerians a few days ago on a small makeshift boat.

The spokesman said the official figure for the illegal Algerian migrants was set at 1,800, but that the number was slightly higher (about 2,000). Most of them were deported by boat to the port of Civitavecchia near the capital Rome.

“Those who stayed here are being held at a former prison of a police station in Minastir near Cagliari, while the authorities have issued a decision to rehabilitate the former Makomar prison and have made it a facility to house the incoming Harraga,” he indicated.

 According to Mr. Fabio Melloni, the deportations of the Algerian undocumented migrants from the island of Sardinia came especially after the disruption of public order caused by some unruly Algerians in the area.

In addition to about 2,000 Harraga who have now arrived, in Sardinia, our interlocutor explained that last year the island had received more than 1,130 illegal migrants, almost double the number of the previous year.

In the same context, Mr. Fabio Melloni stressed that the authorities of the island of Sardinia and the various political parties, have asked the central government in Rome, to put pressure on Algeria, by urging the latter to carry out more surveillance operations along its coasts  and to reign in the Algerian Harraga heading to Sardinia.