According to EU helpers, such data also reveals an 86% increase from the prior year, which is a record amount not seen in more than ten years.
The current conflict in Ukraine had a particularly large impact because 148,000 Ukrainians were given permission to temporarily seek refuge. 36.8% of these permits went to children under 18, while 71.7% of them went to women.
Additionally, with a little increase from the prior year, Italy continues to welcome over five million foreign nationals. Therefore, 59.1% of these foreign nationals have made Italy's northern regions their home.
About 9,000 unaccompanied children under the age of 18 who arrived in Italy during the past year did so without any adult relatives.
Italy's Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, raised concerns about the significant migration pressure the nation had been experiencing in the central Mediterranean for several months in light of these growing numbers.
He pointed out that compared to the prior year, the number of migrants arriving from Tunisia had increased by more than 376%. As of October 4, 3,471 migrants had been returned in total, which was more than in 2022 and 2021 combined. According to Minister Piantedosi, 70% of these repatriated migrants had been through a CPR, a pre-deportation holding facility.
Italian authorities recently disclosed that since 2013, their nation has accepted nearly a million migrants. More than 28,000 people have passed away while traveling to Italy via migrant routes. With the death of 368 migrants leaving Libya in 2013, this tragic trend started in the early 2010s.
Additionally, Italy changed its laws earlier this month to better handle unaccompanied youngsters who apply for refuge there.
The customary approach for hosting unaccompanied youngsters requesting refuge has been changed by the new legislation. In order to improve their care and support, this transition can require modifications to how these minors are incorporated into the reception and integration (SAI) system. New age-determination procedures have also been implemented under the regulation.
These procedures are especially important when dealing with unaccompanied minors who often and constantly enter Italy. For minors to get the right care, services, and legal protections based on their real age, accurate age assessment is essential.