ROME -- Through Wednesday and up until Thursday morning 1500 migrants have arrived in Italy across three locations, whilst two alleged smugglers have been arrested, say coastguard officials.

 The two presumed smugglers were arrested on the orders of the Ragusa chief investigator.  This came in alignment with investigations into the arrival yesterday of a boat, carrying 640 migrants, into Pozzallo.  State police, carabinieri, and the financial police carried out the measures after investigations by the constabularies’ flying squad, which is searching for the location of other suspects. The people rescued in the Sicilian Channel by the German Navy ship ‘Frankfurt’ were on board five inflatable rafts, one of which was sinking.

 A further 270 migrants also arrived in Lampedusa on Wednesday evening, after being rescued from the Sicilian Channel by three patrol boats.  Amongst them were 50 women and several children.  Exhausted by fatigue and cold, they nevertheless seemed in reasonable health.  They were arriving from various countries: Mali, Cameroon, Nigeria, Congo, and Guinea.  Amongst them was also an Eritrean family.  One of the migrants was wearing a Lazio football shirt and was greeted with particular amazement and joy by one of the volunteers in the dock, who was a big fan of the ‘biancoceleste’.

 On Thursday morning another ship arrived into Reggio Calabria, the ‘Aviere’, a navy ship, carrying 590 migrants who were rescued from the sea, as well as a corpse of one who was not so fortunate.  First aid and assistance, coordinated by the Prefecture of Reggio Calabria, will be given to the migrants by workers.

 Those involved include the state police, carabinieri, the financial police, the city municipality, the region, the harbour, the hospital, SUEM 118, the Italian Red Cross, USMAF, and volunteers from various voluntary associations who are present, including Caritas and the Church Coordination.  After first aid has been administered, 400 migrants will be transferred, whilst the remaining 190 will be allocated aid throughout Calabria.

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