Italy in 2022 welcomed 90,297 migrants. The data is updated to yesterday and obviously concerns only those who have been "intercepted" on their journey or brought ashore by NGO ships. This is the figure used by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to compare with the numbers of French hospitality: just over two hundred, those of the Ocean Viking. Everyone must do their part, is the government's thesis.
And Sardinia, how much does it contribute to the national network? Populist rhetoric has always focused on terms like “invasion”. If this is what it is about – and it isn't – on this side of the Tyrrhenian the statistics tell a completely different story.
The island welcomes 1% of migrants distributed throughout the national territory. As of 31 October - the latest data broken down by region provided by the Ministry of the Interior - there were 1,177. Of these: 920 in reception centers managed by the Prefectures and 257 in those controlled by local authorities in the Sai system (Reception and Integration Service). Only Valle D'Aosta is home to fewer: 131. But the residents there are also less than a tenth of Sardinians.
Despite the distorted perception by recent international events, there is no particular growth for the island compared to last year. In Italy, as of 31 October 2021, there were just over 53,000 migrants welcomed. In Sardinia they were 1128: just about fifty less than the current ones. In 2017 there were over 5 thousand.
A separate chapter is that of the Algerians who land on the coast of Sulcis: up to July they had been 570. They arrive, few stay, almost all leave.
And among those who pass through the Ministry of the Interior's network, how many see their asylum or refugee status recognition granted? The latest data from the commission called to decide is from 2021: 77% of those examined received a resounding "no" as an answer. And they weren't many: 590 in all.