A migrant is accompanied by law enforcement to the airplane that will bring him back to Tunisia | Photo: ANSA/Carlo Ferraro
A migrant is accompanied by law enforcement to the airplane that will bring him back to Tunisia | Photo: ANSA/Carlo Ferraro

Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese said 5,940 migrants have been repatriated thus far in 2019, a number that she said was "insufficient" and showed that "more intense action on the part of Europe" was needed.

Italian Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese said a total of 5,940 migrants have been repatriated from Italy since the start of the year, compared to 5,345 in the same period in 2018.

"Since September 5, when the new government was sworn in, there have been some 1,304 [repatriations]," she said, speaking at a Constitutional Affairs Committee hearing in the Lower House. She argued that the rate of repatriations was "insufficient" and that it "risks delegitimising the European system to fight illegal immigration." She added: "We are calling for more intense action on the part of Europe on this."

Strengthen repatriation centers in coming months 

To intensify the efficiency of deportations, Lamorgese said, more repatriation centers would be opened. "I'm planning to strengthen the system of repatriation centers in the coming months with an additional 300 places by opening additional structures -- 50 places in Macomer, 150 in Gradisca d'Isonzo, 132 in Milan. Work has also started to create two other centers with a total of 160 places -- 100 in Oppido Mamertina and 60 in Modena," the interior minister said.