According to the newspaper Avvenire, assistance operations began after news broke of the migrants’ arrival on the small island located at the southeastern tip of Sicily.

A boat and a helicopter were used to transport them to Portopalo, while personnel from the State Police, Carabinieri, Port Authority, and Guardia di Finanza participated in the emergency response.

Once ashore, the migrants were gathered at the Terrazza dei Due Mari square, where Civil Protection volunteers organized initial assistance efforts and distributed water, food, and thermal blankets. According to local press, authorities began identification and care procedures for the arrivals while arrangements for their reception were underway; one migrant was taken to an emergency unit for medical attention.

The regional newspaper La Sicilia also reported other arrivals in Portopalo di Capo Passero—totaling 117 people across two operations—while another 121 migrants were rescued on Lampedusa.

Meanwhile, Avvenire also highlighted the rise in the arrival of foreign minors in Italy, noting that a large proportion travel without their families, often following journeys marked by violence and precarious conditions.

jdt/arm/mem/mml