Migrant arrivals in Italy have increased by more than 50% since far-right premier Giorgia Meloni took office at the end last October, official statistics show, contradicting claims made by her government.

On Monday, interior minister Matteo Piatendosi appeared on an Italian TV show and claimed the "growth curve [of boat arrivals] had declined" in the government's first two months in power.

But statistics published by the interior ministry and reviewed by Euronews show that migrant arrivals by boat have been considerably higher since Meloni took office compared to the same period the previous year.

Huge surge in Italy migrant arrivals despite PM Meloni's 'naval blockade' pledge

By Andrea Carlo  Updated: 12/01/2023

The new PM’s first two full months in office -- November and December -- saw almost 20,000 migrants arrive by boat: a sharp rise from the same months the year before when there were 12,600 migrant landings. 

The upsurge in arrivals by boat in the first ten days of 2023 has been even more dramatic: 3,709 so far this year compared to just 378 during the same time period in 2022, marking an 881% increase.

https://www.euronews.com/2023/01/12/huge-surge-in-italy-migrant-arrivals-despite-pm-melonis-naval-blockade-pledge

It won't stop anytime soon...