Patrick Zachmann A boat coming from Libya has been spotted and caught by the coast guards (Costiera Guardia) 35 miles away from Lampedusa. They escort it to the port where coast-guards, police, Protezione Civile, a
(...) mbulances, buses, Red Cross and other NGOs are expecting the boat and the migrants. There are 158 persons, including 22 women and babies, and come from several African countries, including Somalia, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Niger, Tchad, Errythrea and Togo. Only some are political refugees. Most of them left their native countries for economic reasons and were trapped in Libya. They will all be, regardless of their countries of origins, very quickly sent away from Lampedusa to different parts of Italy, where they will be able to stay for six months. A few of them will go back to their country and others will continue their epic trip to France, Holland, Germany, Denmark or Sweden. The whole operation of disembarkation, counting of the migrants and transfer into buses is extremely well organized and quickly done. A person in charge tells the photographer, "Have you seen how fast we operate from their boat to the buses? Then, tourists don't see them." Lampedusa, Italy. July 2011. July 8, 2011. © Patrick Zachmann | Magnum Photos