The idyllic holiday hotspot in the Mediterranean has a population of 6,000 but is now struggling to deal with 7,000 asylum seekers
The situation on the tiny island of Lampedusa is “apocalyptic”, the local priest has said, as the number of migrants arriving from North Africa exceeded the number of inhabitants.
The scrap of territory, which lies between Tunisia and Sicily and has a population of 6,000, is now struggling to deal with 7,000 asylum seekers who have arrived on its shores in the last 48 hours.
Tensions are high on the island, with scuffles breaking out among migrants as they fight over water and food provided by emergency officials, and Italian police using riot shields and batons to keep the huge crowds in check.
Such a huge number of arrivals in such a short time has not been seen on Lampedusa for some time, with locals saying the crisis is now out of control.