The Italian Red Cross (CRI) has confirmed that over 164,000 migrants have arrived on the island of Lampedusa since it began managing the local hotspot in June 2023. According to the organization, about 39,000 people have been welcomed this year alone. The island remains one of the busiest entry points for migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe.
Speaking during the Jubilee of the Missionary World and Migrants, CRI President Rosario Valastro reflected on the human tragedy behind these numbers. He remembered the deadly shipwreck off Lampedusa on October 3, 2013, when 368 migrants died, and the February 2023 Cutro disaster in Calabria, which killed at least 94 people, including many children.
Valastro said these tragic events should remind everyone of the importance of protecting and supporting migrants who risk their lives to find safety and hope. He explained that migrants often flee war, poverty, and social crises in search of a better life, fully aware of the dangers involved in crossing the sea.
The Red Cross president stressed that every number in the statistics represents a human story. Behind each arrival are faces, dreams, and struggles that deserve attention and respect. Valastro praised Red Cross volunteers and workers for their constant support at Lampedusa and other ports in Italy, saying their compassion sends a strong message of peace in a world affected by conflict.
He quoted the founder of the Red Cross, Henry Dunant, saying, “We are all brothers.” This message, Valastro added, remains at the heart of the Red Cross mission to save lives and promote humanity, regardless of borders or nationality.
The migration crisis has taken a heavy toll this year. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 9,000 migrants have died along global migration routes in 2024. Of these, 2,452 deaths occurred in the Mediterranean Sea, making it one of the deadliest migration paths in the world.
IOM in Libya also reported that between January and early October, at least 461 people died and 424 went missing along the Central Mediterranean route. In the same period, around 20,000 migrants were intercepted at sea and sent back to Libya. Most were men, but women and children were also among those returned.
The Red Cross continues to call for compassion and global cooperation to address the root causes of migration. It urges nations to ensure safe and legal routes for migrants, while supporting humanitarian workers who respond daily to emergencies on the front lines of the crisis.