Two Shipwrecks Off Lampedusa island– Migrant Crisis

Incident:

• Location: Off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, in the central Mediterranean.

• Both boats departed Tripoli, Libya.

Significance

• Central Mediterranean is called the world’s most dangerous sea crossing for migrants (UN).

• Migrants often attempt the journey from North Africa to Europe in unsafe, overcrowded boats.

Lampedusa 

• Geography:

  • Largest island of Italy’s Pelagie Islands, Mediterranean Sea.

  • Closest land: Tunisia (113 km), then Malta (176 km), Sicily (205 km).

  • Area: 20.2 km²; Population: ~6,000.

• Economy: Fishing, agriculture, tourism.

• Tourism: Spiaggia dei Conigli (“Rabbit Beach”) voted world’s best beach 

• Migration Role:

  • Since early 2000s, a major entry point for migrants from Libya & Tunisia.