A recent report by the Italian news agency NOVA reveals that 2,614 irregular migrants have reached Italy from the Libyan coast in the year 2024. Overall, Italy has seen a 46.9% decrease in irregular sea arrivals in 2024, with 4,028 migrants arriving compared to 7,857 in the same period last year.
The number of arrivals from Tunisia to Italian shores dropped to 1,172 from January 1 to February 15, down from 4,236 in the same period last year, marking a 72.3% decrease, according to NOVA’s latest data from the Italian Interior Ministry. However, the arrivals from Libya to Italy have increased to 2,614 from 2,822, showing a 7.9% rise.
NOVA reports that departures from Libya mainly originated from the Tripoli region, especially from the localities of Zuwara, Sabratha, and Zawiya, while journeys from the Cyrenaica region declined.
In addition to the over 4,000 migrants, more than a thousand were intercepted at sea and returned to Libyan territory, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). However, no data is currently available on interceptions conducted by Tunisian authorities. Furthermore, the IOM reported at least 89 deaths (16 confirmed deaths and 73 missing) since the beginning of the year in the central Mediterranean Sea.
Besides Libya and Tunisia, Algeria also serves as a departure point for vessels heading to Italy, albeit in marginal numbers, according to the Italian agency. From the beginning of 2024 to February 15, only 34 individuals arrived from Algerian coasts, a 72.3% decrease compared to the same period in 2023, when there were 123 arrivals.
