EU and Italian leaders tour Lampedusa amid surge in migrant arrivals

EC president Ursula von der Leyen, front left, and Italian PM Giorgia Meloni visit the island of Lampedusa (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse/AP)

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italian premier Giorgia Meloni have toured a migrant centre on the island of Lampedusa that was overwhelmed with nearly 7,000 arrivals in a 24-hour period this week.

Tensions have spiked on the Italian island in the days since, with residents expressing impatience with the constant flow of migrants trying to reach Europe from North Africa arriving on their shores, with occasional spikes, for decades.