Immigrants landing in Italy

The number of undocumented immigrants arriving by boat in Italy has nearly doubled in the first half in 2013 compared with the same period last year, Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said Saturday. From January to June, 7,913 immigrants arrived on Italy’s shores after 4,019 such arrivals were recorded in the first half of 2012, he said on a visit to the southern island of Lampedusa, according to the Ansa news agency. Most of the immigrants, 3,648, arrived on Lampedusa, south-west of Malta, more than three times the numbers seen last year, he said. “This piece of land is where Europe ends, and Europe must deal with subject of immigration because it is not only an Italian concern,” Alfano was quoted as saying. “Whoever arrives here does not want to come to Sicily or Italy but to Europe.” Italy has repeatedly complained that it receives too little support from other EU members in dealing with the flow of immigrants to its shores.