Some 300 migrants on Saturday, June 10, left the so-called migrant 'hotspot' (first reception center) of Lampedusa, which was hosting 369 people at dawn, to be taken to the Sicilian city of Porto Empedocle, near Agrigento.

The transfer, ordered by the prefecture of Agrigento in coordination with the interior ministry, was not carried out by one of the regular ferries connecting Porto Empedocle to the Pelagie islands, including Lampedusa, but by using a ship expressly rented in order to relocate migrants from the tiny Sicilian island to the mainland to avoid overcrowding at the local hosting facility.

At least 400 migrants to be transferred daily

Since mid-April, shortly after prefect Valerio Valenti was appointed commissioner delegate for the migrant state of emergency, authorities have been talking about additional maritime transportation to transfer at least 400 migrants daily from Lampedusa to the Sicilian port cities of Porto Empedocle or Pozzallo -- that would add up to roughly 2,800 a week.

The project kicked off on June 10 with the relocation of 300 people who were staying at the hotspot in Lampedusa's Imbriacola district.

A total of €8,820,000 have been earmarked to fund the plan throughout 2023, authorities have said.

"In order to ensure adequate levels of accommodation in hotspots, the interior ministry is authorized to stipulate contracts with maritime transportation companies, as an exception to legislation on public contracts," said an amendment to a government decree on immigration, presented to the Senate on April 13.

'Hotspot' stays shortened

The government's goal is for migrants who reach Lampedusa to stay no longer than five to six days before they are moved to the mainland, Valenti told a press conference last week while announcing the management of the local hotspot by the Italian Red Cross, which took over on June 1.

The prefect of Agrigento, Filippo Romano, said at the press conference held on June 7 that over the previous two weeks the migrants stays in the center would be "limited to 24 hours."

"Even with peaks of 800 arrivals in two days, we were able to continue with transfers to the mainland", he said.

"People who arrive here are not interested in staying on Lampedusa but want to move to the continent as quickly as possible," he added.

Maritime transportation has been increased and hosting facilities in Sicily and Calabria have been boosted to make "transfers as quick as possible,", Romano concluded.