A record number of would-be immigrants arrived in Italy this year, according to the daily Corriere della Sera. Over 40,000 people have requested refugee status so far this year, compared to 14,000 over the same period in 2007.A total 24,241 illegal immigrants reached Italy between January and 16 September this year, and 3,176 in the following month, the paper said, quoting recent data from Italy's Interior Ministry. The illegal immigrants include 4,417 Nigerians, 4,320 Somalis, 2,918 Eritreans and 2,514 Tunisians.
The southern Italian region of Sicily received the highest number of illegal immigrants arriving by boat, followed by Sardinia and the southern region of Calabria.
The number of women arriving on the southernmost island of Lampedusa from January to November was 3,128 - over three times the 973 who arrived over the same period last year. Similarly, 2,002 children landed on the island between January and November, compared with 977 last year. Of these, eight percent were unaccompanied.
Over one-third of unaccompanied minors arriving on Lampedusa disappear, according to police in Agrigento, Sicily, where the children are sent to live in communities. Hundreds of these children have vanished since June, the Save the Children charity told Adnkronos International (AKI).
Despite dramatic reports of boatloads of illegal immigrants adrift at sea or coming ashore, 63 percent of illegals in Italy have arrived by land or plane, according to the Interior Ministry. Between January and September, 49,297 people were recorded as illegal immigrants. The total included 25,056 'overstayers' who remained in the country beyond the maximum three month period stipulated by their visas.
According to the Interior Ministry, however, the total number of foreigners living illegally in Italy is seven times greater - over 650,000.
The Italian Government estimates it will grant 170,000 permits of stay this year to foreigners currently living in the country illegally, mostly to domestic workers, out of 380,000 requested.