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On the plinth: “To the unknown boat refugee”
On October 3, as Italian media were still buzzing about the confidence vote in Parliament, more sobering news silenced the political debate. A boat carrying more than 500 migrants had caught fire and capsized near Lampedusa island. Only 155 people have so far been rescued, with the death toll currently at 94 and more than 250 still missing.
The tragedy, coming just days after the drowning of 13 immigrants trying to reach the Sicilian coast, has drawn the indignation of many public figures, including Pope Francis. EU commissioner for Home affairs Cecilia Malmström has accepted Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano's invitation to visit Lampedusa, one of the main arrival points for immigrants arriving in Europe.
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