LONDON
\nItaly is reporting an influx of Sudanese refugees who are fleeing the civil war in their country and crossing the Mediterranean Sea, The Times reported.
\nPrime Minister Giorgia Meloni told ministers in Rome: \u201cSudanese refugees are no longer stopping in Egypt but heading for Libya and from there coming to us.\u201d
\nThe conflict in Sudan \u2014 which began last April \u2014 has displaced almost 8 million people. About 1.6 million have fled to African countries including the Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia and South Sudan, with about 450,000 moving north into Egypt.
\nBut Libya\u2019s lack of governance and proximity to Egypt has seen many migrants opt to depart for Europe from the country\u2019s coastline.
\nLast year, most migrants arriving in Italy via the Mediterranean crossed via Tunisia, but this year Libya took the lead, with Meloni saying: \u201cThe coast around Tripoli is \u00acseeing an increase in departures.\u201d
\nAlmost 6,000 Sudanese arrived in Italy in 2023. The situation is compounded by the decriminalization of people-trafficking in Niger \u2014 a key migration hub in Africa.
\nThe same northward migration trend seen in Africa is mirrored in Europe, with refugees and migrants moving north from arrival points in Italy to countries such as France and the UK.
\nLast month, Meloni urged support for a government plan to invest in African states as a buffer against migration.
\nItaly is also awaiting Albania\u2019s approval of a deal that will see thousands of migrants temporarily housed in the Balkan state while their asylum applications are processed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LONDON Italy is reporting an influx of Sudanese refugees who are fleeing the civil war in their country and crossing the Mediterranean Sea, The Times reported. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told ministers in Rome: \u201cSudanese refugees are no longer stopping in Egypt but heading for Libya and from there coming to us.\u201d The conflict in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":387851,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-387832","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n