The European Commission said Wednesday that it was “in contact” with Rome after the Italian government on Tuesday declared a national state of emergency over the big rise in the number of migrants and refugees arriving in Italy. “The European Commission has taken note of Italy’s decision to declare a state of emergency over migrants,” an EC spokesperson said. “It is a decision of a national nature and stems from a highly difficult situation caused by the increase in the number of arrivals. “The Commission will examine in detail the measures foreseen (in the decree).” The spokesperson added that “Italy has asked for financial assistance from the European Commission because of the increase in migrant arrivals, in particularly to address the critical situation in the Lampedusa (migrant) hotspot”. The spokesperson said that the EU already supports Italy “with a wide range of measures” including “expertise on the field” and stressing that “Italy is one of the main beneficiaries of the fund for migration and integration”.
