Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni declared a national state of emergency due to the migration crisis. The measure will last for six months, and the government will provide €5 million (about $5.5 million) to administrations in the southern regions to build migrant reception centers.
The Italian government recognizes, however, that this measure will not solve the migration crisis. The solution is in the hands of the European authorities, as assured by Nello Musumeci, Italy's minister for civil protection and maritime policies:
We are aware of the severity of this phenomenon, which has grown by 300%. I warned weeks ago. It is a problem that is destined not to end, at least for the next 10 years. It is a situation that puts the country's structures in difficulty, since the islands alone cannot withstand this emergency situation, so the state of emergency will be national.
According to data from Italy's Ministry of the Interior, more than 30,000 migrants have arrived at its shores so far this year. In the same period last year, there were fewer than 8,000.
