Italy was first in Europe this year for the arrival of illegal immigrants by sea, according to the deputy director of the European borders agency Frontex, Gil Arias.
Frontex data showed that from January to September some 25,000 illegal immigrants reached Italian shores, a whopping 107% increase over the same period in 2007.
Most of the immigrants were said to be from Nigeria and Eritrea, with those coming from the latter increasing tenfold from July to September, compared to the previous three-month period, Frontex said.
The majority of immigrants heading towards Italy by sea set off from Libya and in the future their arrival on the islands of Lampedua and Linosa, those closest to Libya, could create a ''dramatic'' situation, Arias warned.
Many illegal immigrants are also trying to reach Italy by air, Arias said, and a Frontex study showed that Nigerians and Chinese for the most part tried to arrive at Rome's international airport Fiumicino, while Eriteans opted for the capital's secondary airport Ciampino, Moroccans tried to fly into Milan and Bologna and Russians sought to enter through Rimini and Bologna.
