To understand the unfolding crisis on the Italian island of Lampedusa, where a state of emergency has been declared as 7,000 migrants arrived on boats within just 48 hours, it’s crucial to look across the short stretch of the Mediterranean to Tunisia.

Sally Hayden, who has been reporting on the migrant crisis and the EU’s response to it, explains in this podcast why there has been a surge of people arriving on Lampedusa; why she believes Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s proposed “naval blockade” will not work; the controversial €105 million deal between the EU and Tunisian president Kaïs Saïed, who has encouraged violence against black people in the country; and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s visit last week to the Italian island.

Hayden also tells In the News the story of Saad Eddin Ismail who she met in Tunisia and who left his home in Darfur, Sudan, six years ago, on a long quest to find safety.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.