ROME — Since the start of the year, almost 3,200 migrants and refugees have died crossing the Mediterranean to get into Europe, over 2,700 of which have been trying to reach Italy, according to statistics released by the International Organisation of Migrants (IOM). The number of casualties has increased since this time last year, and is “around double what it was between January and August 2014,” says Julia Black of IOM. 

 Meanwhile, Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala has not ruled out the possibility of using tents to house migrants arriving in the city, although the decision will ultimately be up to the city's prefecture.

 “Thanks to the Prefect of Milan, Marangoni, the situation is being monitored," said the mayor, "and no-one has excluded the possibility of using tents, since at the moment it is difficult to create space quickly.”

 Up until recently, 3,100 migrants had been received in Milan, but the recent arrival of 200 migrants brought numbers up to 3,300.

 “Immigration has wreaked havoc on Renzi’s government,” wrote the President of Lombardy Roberto Maroni on his Twitter profile. In another social media message, the President repeated his stance on the matter: “Illegal immigrants should return to their home countries as a matter of urgency.”

 In his tweet, Maroni attached an article published early that day on the front page of the ‘Corriere di Como’, whose headline read : “Maroni on the attack. The Governor’s view: “There are no refugees, only illegal immigrants, and they should be sent home.”

 lej