From file: Archive: A group of migrants arrives at the port of Scauri, on the island of Pantelleria | Photo:  ANSA
From file: Archive: A group of migrants arrives at the port of Scauri, on the island of Pantelleria | Photo: ANSA

A hotspot for managing the administrative procedures for foreigners arriving by boat has been opened on the Italian island of Pantelleria, located in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea.

On the morning of July 15, the Pantelleria hotspot, a facility built to enable the rapid identification and registration of migrants, was opened. The hotspot manages the administrative procedures for foreigners who arrive by boat.

The Prefect of Trapani, the Mayor of Pantelleria, and the Police force were present for the opening.

Police Chief responsible for enforcing order and security

The hotspot is a government center managed by the Department of Civil Liberties and Migration of the Italian Ministry of Interior. The responsibility for enforcing order and security is delegated to the Police Chief.

Inside the facility, after the initial operations to shelter the foreigners, a first identification phase will start, followed by the photo-signaling of migrants and administrative procedures for those requesting international protection.

Security services and public security at the hotspot will be carried out by all police personnel and will involve units from the Department of Public Security, which was placed at the disposal of the Trapani Police Chief, authorities said.

Pantelleria is an Italian island and comune and is located 106 kilometers southwest of Sicily and 68 kilometers east of the Tunisian coast. 

Also read: Mediterranean: Hundreds of migrants arrive in Italy, more waiting on rescue ships