Lampedusa: a crowded island. Where to eat in Lampedusa? When is Rabbit Island available to visit?

Lampedusa - italian island on South mediterranean sea, off the coast of continental Africa. Once famous for his beautiful beaches, and it was called Paradise, but now it is better known as the place where illegal migrants from Tunisia, and from North Africa. This island has turned into an earthly Hell - Lampedusa, has become an arena for the most violent confrontations.

Under normal circumstances, the population of the island does not exceed 5,000 people, but now its streets are flooded with thousands of North Africans who live in migration centers and makeshift campgrounds, and are waiting to be transported to the continent.

Africans arrive in Lampedusa on anything - on boats, boats and even rafts from car tires. Naturally, many people die when crossing the Mediterranean Sea, floating craft are so overloaded with people that one wrong move leads to a shipwreck. Often migrants cross the sea on their own - in rowing boats, boats and boats.

Massive migration began in 2011, when both leaders; Silvio Berlusconi and Muammar Gaddafi disappear from the scene in a matter of months: one resigned and the other was killed. Libya plunges into civil war and chaos, and is deprived of the generally recognized central authority.

And two years later, in February 2013, what seemed impossible happens: the Pope abdicates the throne. In his abdication speech, he describes himself as physically exhausted and therefore unsuited to lead the Catholic Church.

Of course, this is very strange, but a few days before the abdication of Pope Benedict, the Vatican was cut off from all international banking transactions via SWIFT, similar to other "bad" states such as Iran and North Korea. In a matter of hours after Benedict XVI left the Vatican and went to a residence near Rome, the connection of the Vatican with SWIFT was restored and all banking transactions became available again. These are the miracles.

The cardinals elect a new and completely different Pope. And soon this Pope begins every day, like a broken record, to remind Catholics around the world, but especially the Catholics of Italy, that "migrants should not just be welcomed, but unconditionally welcomed." A pious Catholic should accept this without question, even if somewhere in the depths of his soul there may be many doubts: the Pope is always right and Catholics must obey.

Until 2011, the number of African migrants was high, but never exceeded 50 thousand people. in year. 2014 was the first year of biblical numbers, with over 170,000 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa. Since then, the numbers have been rising, and in 2017 it is expected to exceed the 200 thousand mark. And it’s okay that Italy is running out of space to house and feed so many people. For many Italians, the Pope remains the highest voice of truth, so if THEY come, the Italians should receive THEM.

What about Lampedusa? And nothing, because immigration has become a fantastic, unprecedented business for her thanks to countless billions of euros, steadily flowing into the pockets of those who are even very interested in this very migration. There's just too much money going around here. For that kind of money, you can buy any politician, the highest rank of a policeman, and the "faithful servants" of the Vatican. The smuggling of migrants has become an international business.

Our group arrived in Lampedusa early in the morning, the sea was calm and the policeman accompanying us said that the morning and afternoon would be tense. We were warned to strictly obey all instructions, roughly speaking - do not poke your nose into other people's business. About an hour later, a command passed, everyone to get ready, and a sea patrol with rescuers to go to sea, a boat with refugees was approaching. The rescue guys and two doctors from our group, dressed in special suits, went out to sea with a patrol.

We waited on the shore as an overloaded boatload of African migrants was rescued by an Italian Coast Guard patrol. This time, out of 300 hundred people, having set sail for a "happy life" from the coast of Africa, 260 people went ashore. In order to swim alive to the island, stronger and younger Africans pushed the weak and those who did not resist, among whom were women and children. A special Coast Guard boat went in search of possibly still alive and already dead migrants. Already as a practice, the living cling to the dead and keep afloat, waiting for the help of the rescue service.

The rest of our group was not allowed into the inspection zone itself, explaining that it was dangerous and not a pleasant sight - there are seriously ill and dead people, and there is almost always quarantine there.

In the reception area for migrants, the stench is unbearable, considering local climate- heat and humidity, everywhere dirt and heaps of garbage. At the exit of the inspection zone, buses or small trucks were already waiting for migrants. Right there, there was a brisk "purchase" of arrivals, a completely legal slave market. The weaker ones went well, they can be bought for a pittance, giving the police a fee. Why exactly these, but because after working for two weeks on a fruit or vegetable plantation, the slave weakens, and it is not known where he disappears, since the sea is nearby. Moreover, every day a new batch of slaves arrives.

Those who still stand on their feet - men, women, children - are sent to migration camps, where they are crowded and there is no water or toilets. They all sleep side by side, and half-starved migrant women, children, teenagers become objects of sexual violence, numerous cases of suicide among refugees are a common thing.

Every day, accompanied by military or police guards, representatives of mafia structures enter the territory of the zone, choose healthy and young girls and girls to work in the "service" sector.

Everyone earns on refugees, not an exception and protection, having paid them, migrants run away "imperceptibly".

But the most "prestigious" are carriers, because it is impossible to get to the mainland afloat, for this there is a flotilla - from well-equipped, well-paid and well-maintained ships. Each migrant pays between 2,000 and 4,000 euros to get to the mainland, someone who has given away their life's savings, plus perhaps money borrowed, to get into a "prosperous land." Whoever is unable to pay, rents himself out. doing the dirtiest work.

In this area, entry is prohibited for the safety of both life and health. The movement of people from continent to continent inevitably leads to the spread infectious diseases, including those defeated sometime in the past.

The medical staff accepting migrants work in special suits, but very often embittered refugees try to rip off masks and gloves in order to injure and, as a result, infect.

That's the whole recipe for the most profitable and fastest growing business in Europe called migration, and the Mediterranean Sea has become a graveyard. And this cemetery will expand.

Such a monumental undertaking to change European demographics found its supporters. In particular, one gentleman is ready to fork out and endow this merciful flotilla with some trifling 500 million euros. I wonder what is behind such generosity. Perhaps the person wants future generations of dark-skinned Italians to remember him, because he is already aging, there is not much time left, so he intends to speed up the shuffling of the population of both Europe itself and Italy in particular

In 1943 there were GIs (as the American troops were called). In 2017, their role is filled by the GSB (George Soros Boys).

The name of the tiny Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, previously known only to tourists, has recently become known to the whole world. Here, after the revolutions in Egypt, Tunisia and the beginning of the civil war in Libya, thousands of people from North Africa rushed. The authorities of Italy (the ill-fated island is its territory) declare that they can cope with the flow of refugees on their own. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi himself promised to save local residents from the influx of newcomers from the south. Local residents believe that he did not keep his promise.

25/4/2011

Lampedusa is a paradise. Everything is here for unforgettable holiday: sun, transparent sea, wonderful beaches and great hotels. Usually in April there are thousands of tourists. But now to meet them on the island is a great success. Instead of tourists, there are numerous police officers who arrived in Lampedusa on a business trip from all over Italy, journalists, and most importantly, thousands of illegal immigrants who have been arriving almost daily from North Africa since January.

The famous Cala Pulchino (“rabbit beach” in Italian) is a strange sight these days. Warm sand, sun loungers, and nearby - heaps of garbage and scraps of cellophane. Both are carefully collected by cleaners. At the beginning of the week, until the police intervened, Tunisian refugees lived here.

However, not only here. Home-made tents made from cut canvas boats stood literally everywhere, even in the very center of Lampedusa, opposite the city hall. Now, after locals held a noisy rally, at which there were even demands for the resignation of the government, canvas tents became smaller.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi himself came to reassure the assembled Lampedusians. He promised that all illegal immigrants would be taken from the island to refugee reception centers in mainland Italy and tourist season will not be broken. As proof of the seriousness of his intentions, Berlusconi announced that he bought on the Internet one of the empty villas that are not sold out in Lampedusa. Ships arrived on the island after the Prime Minister's visit. But they could not take out all the illegal immigrants because of the storm, and most importantly, because of the arrival of new immigrants from North Africa.

Now many are unhappy with the premier in Lampedusa. Even more dissatisfied here are only illegal immigrants. “I understand these people, but let them understand us too. Everyone says they are unhappy. What are we, happy? Tourism is everything for us. If vacationers do not come to us, we will be left without money, ”a local resident Massimo Caltogirone gets excited in a conversation with a NI reporter.

There is indeed a refugee reception center in Lampedusa. Still, the island is south gate Italy, where aliens from the African continent have long arrived, wishing to illegally enter Europe. In the center, instead of tents, there are rooms. The conditions in them, of course, are worse than in the spa-rooms of Lampedusa hotels, but quite tolerable. However, there are only eight hundred seats. And only a week ago, up to four thousand people from Tunisia and Libya arrived on the island. It is not surprising that tents from the beaches do not disappear anywhere.

A little further from the Rabbit Beach is another beach, which the locals have managed to call Fish Beach over the past few days. Why - I understood immediately, as soon as I came here. The first refugee I met was sitting on the beach with a homemade fishing rod. Nearby, next to the tent, traces of a fire are visible. Here, apparently, the caught fish was fried.

An illegal immigrant, a young man of about 25, introduces himself as "Hasan, an engineer from Tunisia." I ask why he needs a fish. After all, he can eat for free at the refugee reception center. “Your own fish is tastier. In addition, at home I’m used to fish, but here, in the center, there’s only potatoes and spaghetti,” says Hasan.

In the migration office in Sicily, they explained to me that all illegal immigrants will say: they fled from the civil war or repression. Otherwise, they will not be granted refugee status. However, Hasan bluntly said that he was running along economic reasons: “There is no work in Tunisia and it looks like there won't be in the near future. What should I do there?

My interlocutor admitted that he paid for a place in motor boat who took him to Lampedusa. He says that in the old days the fare to Italy was a thousand euros. Now the carriers of illegal immigrants are dumping: for one living soul transported to Lampedusa, they take only 200 euros. Fortunately, there is no end to those who want to get here. Hassan says that now it is not even necessary to get to the shore: it is enough to meet with the border boat.

Previously, border guards handed over illegal immigrants to the Tunisian or Libyan authorities, now they bring them to Lampedusa. “The fact is that we had an agreement with the authorities of Libya and Tunisia. And now it is not clear to whom to hand over these people, ”explained the head of the control center border service Davide Messirendino.

Viktor STRIZHOV.

Lampedusa Island (Italian: Lampedusa)- little Italian volcanic island in the Mediterranean Sea, 205 km from Sicily and 113 km from Tunisia. Included in Pelagic Islands. Area - 20.2 sq. km. Highest point above sea level - 133 m.

The only city on the island Lampedusa; The coast is surrounded by steep cliffs covered with typical Mediterranean vegetation. The inhabitants of the island are mainly fishermen and sponge divers. Agriculture is hampered by lack of fresh water.

The first human settlements on the island date back to prehistoric times, as evidenced by archaeological finds dating back to the Bronze Age, and some megalithic structures. Lampedusa served for a long time as a den of Barbary pirates, then went to the Sicilian kingdom. The Spanish Habsburgs transferred the title of Prince of Lampedusa to the Tomasi family; in the middle of the 19th century, the Tomasi sold the island to the Neapolitan rulers. The 11th prince was the writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. As a master of the Order of Malta, Emperor Paul I showed interest in the island.

Having mastered Malta and other strategically located islands of the Mediterranean, the British cultivated the soil: grapes, fig trees, carob trees grow. The main harbor is on northwest coast. Lampedusa and the neighboring cliff of Lampione got their name from the fires that the hermits lit here in the Middle Ages to show the way to sailors.

Hot Mediterranean subtropical climate and unique fauna attract many tourists throughout the year. And this is natural. The island has the most beautiful European lagoons, which are considered among the best for diving and swimming with a lot of unscared fish. On the northern rocky coast of the island you can see many private yachts moored to swim in the crystal clean water. And it is clean due to the absence of sand that muddied the water. But in the southern part of the island of Lampedusa, lovers sandy beaches feel like in paradise. many bays and white sand will give you an unforgettable experience complete freedom. But there is one beach, which is the pearl of the island. You can not use sun loungers, air mattresses, balls and other paraphernalia on it. Turtles come here to lay their eggs. This beach is a nature reserve of the island.

Diving is possible on the island, amazing experience as the coastline is national reserve and you can't fish there. Diving with scuba gear, you can see huge black moray eels, carriage-carriage turtles, and other marine life. Near the Rabbit Island, it is enough to swim with a mask to feel like in an aquarium: the fish are not afraid at all and surround you with flocks. We traveled around the island in an SUV, and by sea in a rented motor boat.

The island has long been considered inland resort for Italians coming from the northern regions of the country. IN last years built on Lampedusa modern hotels new cafes and restaurants opened. July 21, 2012 is expected to open a new international airport, capable of receiving up to one and a half million passengers a year. And the people of Lampedusa are counting on the fact that Russians will want to use their resort, which keeps its doors open from April to November.

In the 2000s, the island turned into a kind of transit point for illegal immigrants from Africa who regularly arrive in Lampedusa in crowded boats and boats in the hope of resettling in Italy and starting there new life. Many die during such voyages. In 2008, more than 23 thousand illegal immigrants arrived on the island (the Italians call them clandestini). Special camps for illegal immigrants have been built on the island, in which they are provided health care, temporary housing, food. However, these camps are currently overcrowded and, in connection with this, the conditions of detention of illegal immigrants have deteriorated sharply. In January 2008, hundreds of migrants fled the camp and held a protest demonstration demanding freedom and assistance and against conditions in the camp.

A new wave of illegal migrants from North African countries flooded into Lampedusa after the "Arab Spring" of 2011. The increase in the number of migrants is associated with a change of power in Tunisia and Egypt, civil war V Libya. A filtration point has been created on the island.

Volcanic island in the Mediterranean Sea, 205 km from Sicily and 113 km from Tunisia. It is part of the Pelagian Islands. The area is 20.2 km². Population - 6304 people (2010).

Geography

The highest point above sea level is 133 m. Lampedusa is a waterless island. The only source of fresh water is rain. The favorable climate and the unique marine fauna (Maltese-Pelago) of the island attract tourists.

Story

Lampedusa served for a long time as a den of Barbary pirates, then went to the Kingdom of Sicily. The Spanish Habsburgs transferred the title of Prince of Lampedusa to the Tomasi family; in the middle of the 19th century, the Tomasi sold the island to the Neapolitan rulers. The 11th prince was the writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa. As Master of the Order of Malta, Emperor Paul I showed interest in the island.

Having mastered Malta and other strategically located islands of the Mediterranean, the British cultivated the soil: grapes, fig trees, carob trees grow. The main harbor is on the northwest coast. Lampedusa and the neighboring cliff of Lampione got their name from the lights that hermits (hermits) lit here in the Middle Ages to show the way to sailors.

Capture of Lampedusa by Sergeant Cohen

The case hit the press, and soon the London papers were front-page headlines "Lampedusa Surrendered to Sergeant Cohen" and "Cohen King of Lampedusa." The musical "King of Lampedusa" was staged about Cohen, they were going to shoot a feature film. The garrison of Lampedusa consisted of 4,300 men. [ ]

Illegal Immigrants in the 21st Century

In 2008, more than 23 thousand illegal immigrants arrived on the island (the Italians call them clandestini). Special camps for illegal immigrants have been built on the island, in which they are provided with medical care, temporary housing, and food. However, these camps are currently overcrowded and, in connection with this, the conditions of detention of illegal immigrants have deteriorated sharply. In January 2008, hundreds of migrants fled the camp and held a protest demonstration demanding freedom and assistance and against conditions in the camp.

A new wave of illegal migrants from North African countries poured into Lampedusa after the “Arab Spring” in 2011. The increase in the number of migrants is associated with a change of power in Tunisia and Egypt, and the civil war in Libya. The influx of refugees and illegal immigrants led to clashes with local population, arson at the immigration center and the church . A filtration point has been created on the island.

In 2013, 32 thousand migrants sailed to the island, while in October 2013 alone, more than 400 people died in shipwrecks.

After October 2013, Italy introduced the "Mare Nostrum" (Italian: "Our Sea") rescue programme, which received 9 million euros per month. 900 soldiers, 32 ships and aviation took part in the operation every day. A total of 150,000 people were saved. In November 2014, the program was replaced by the patrol operation Triton. Border control Italy was carried out by 19 EU countries with the help of two ships, 4 patrol boats, 2 aircraft and a helicopter.

According to the United Nations Refugee Organization, at least 218,000 migrants crossed the Mediterranean in various boats in 2014, with about 3,500 people drowned in transport wrecks.

In April 2015, a ship wrecked 70 miles from the island, on which, according to various sources, there were from 700 to 950 illegal immigrants. 28 people were found alive. This incident is considered the largest in terms of the number of illegal immigrants.

Lampedusa in art

The filming of the films Breath (2002) and Letters from the Sahara (2006) took place in Lampedusa. Tells about the life of the island documentary"The Sea on Fire", which won the top prize at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2016.