Migrant arrivals in Italy from North Africa via the Mediterranean amounted to around 114,300 from January to August this year, almost twice as many as in the corresponding period in 2022, according to figures announced today by Frontex.

Tunisia and Libya are the main points of departure for the thousands of migrants who cross the central Mediterranean to Europe and arrive in Italy. This highly dangerous migration route has accounted for “half of all irregular arrivals in the EU so far this year,” the European Border and Coast Guard Agency noted.

Migrants arriving in the EU from the central Mediterranean mainly come from Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt and Guinea.

“Increased migratory pressures on this route may persist in the coming months as traffickers reduce prices for migrants leaving Libya and Tunisia due to fierce competition between criminal organizations,” Frontex explained in its statement.

More than 2,000 people have been killed or are missing since the start of the year after attempting the crossing, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The Italian government said today that some 126,000 people have arrived on Italy’s shores since the start of the year, up from 66,000 last year. The Italian island of Lampedusa, which is only 150 kilometers from the coast of Tunisia, has been faced with a wave of migrants in recent days: according to the data of the Italian authorities, more than 7,000 people have arrived, i.e. those who are also the permanent residents of the island.