Migrant landings have resumed after a period of calm, with the arrival on Italy's coasts of over 1,000 people in two days at the weekend (September 21-22). However, figures remain lower than in the same period last year, when landings were three times higher.

Meanwhile, the government, entrepreneurs and unions are dealing with new legislation on regular workers, with changes to the flow decree (a law allowing seasonal work visas to be granted to non-EU applicants) and the possible abolition of the click day (the first day to apply for the seasonal work visa).

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has alleged that criminal groups are exploiting the legal labor migration channel as a route to smuggle irregular migrants into Italy. The issue is expected to be discussed at a cabinet meeting at the end of September.

Also read: Italy: Gang used fake documents to reunite migrant families

Lampedusa most popular point of arrival

The most popular point of landing for irregular migrants remains Lampedusa, which on Saturday (September 21) recorded a total of 788 arrivals, with an additional 176 people on two boats who were rescued in the night between Saturday and Sunday.

One had departed from Sfax in Tunisia, the other from Sabratha in Libya.

Part of a cliff on the island collapsed, without causing injuries. Had the incident occurred on Thursday, it could have caused a tragedy, given that 49 migrants who had departed from El Hamra in Tunisia had landed there.

Arrivals reported in Calabria and Puglia, but fewer than last year

Several landings were also recorded at the port of Roccella Ionica in the area of Locri, Calabria. After the arrival on Friday (September 20) of 81 migrants of various nationalities, in the night between Saturday and Sunday another two landings were reported with 142 migrants.

In Calabria another 98 people, including 16 children, reached Crotone on a sailboat. Eighty people also arrived in Leuca, in the Salento area of south Puglia, on a boat that had departed from Turkey. Thirty others arrived from Algeria and Tunisia reached Sardinia on various vessels.

Although many landings have been recorded recently, figures are still much lower than those reported in Italy between January and September 20 last year, when 132,796 people reached the country compared with around 45,000 who have landed so far this year.

"The situation in the Central Mediterranean is very complex," said the NGO Open Arms, which, with its sailboat Astral, rescued 263 people who were taken to Lampedusa.

"In spite of agreements with countries like Libya and Tunisia, the presence of people at sea doesn't change," Open Arms added.

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