EU chief pledges migrant action plan in Italy's Lampedusa

Migrants gather at the hotspot, a reception centre for migrants, ahead of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's visit to the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, Italy, September 17, 2023. REUTERS/Yara Nardi

LAMPEDUSA, Italy (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday visited the Italian island of Lampedusa, which is struggling with a surge in migrant arrivals, and promised a 10-point EU action plan to help Italy deal with the situation.

Nearly 126,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, almost double the figure by the same date in 2022. The small island of Lampedusa has recently seen a sharp rise in the number of people arriving by boat, with more than 7,000 landing this week, more than the island's permanent population.