Italy’s top law enforcement official said Tuesday that his nation’s aggressive approach to halting migration across the Mediterranean was making progress, amid a steep drop in the number of migrants arriving on Italy’s shores in the past month.
The sharp drop in the number of asylum seekers entering Italy comes as migrant advocates warn of rising dangers for those who remain in Libya or who set out into the Mediterranean for the perilous voyage. There are fewer ships rescuing migrants after several aid organizations suspended their operations in recent days, following a declaration by the Libyan coast guard that it plans to expand its patrol zone beyond national waters. The
coast guard, trained by the Italians, has pursued a newly muscular approach in recent weeks.
If the traffic holds steady, migration pressures on Europe could significantly ease after years of mounting strain. The flow has emboldened anti-migrant nationalists across the continent and challenged societies as they try to integrate the new arrivals. But a calmer Europe probably means worse conditions for the asylum seekers in Libya, a war-torn society where
migrants have been subjected to torture, slavery and imprisonment, critics say.
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