BBC News, 8
July 2013
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The Pope is on his first pastoral visit outside Rome since becoming pontiff |
He threw a
wreath of flowers into the sea, in a sign of mourning. He will celebrate an
open-air Mass later.
A small
boat carrying 166 Africans - reportedly Eritreans - arrived at Lampedusa's port
just hours before the Pope's plane touched down.
The island
is struggling to cope with thousands of migrants.
Lampedusa,
about 80 miles (120km) from Tunisia, is one of the nearest gateways to Europe
for Africans fleeing poverty and conflict.
Tens of
thousands of migrants have made the dangerous crossing in recent years, usually
packed into rickety wooden boats exposed to the elements.
Francis, an Argentine Jesuit, is on his first pastoral visit outside Rome since his election as Pope in March. He is expected to meet migrants and encourage the local population to help them.
Lampedusa's
native population of 6,000 is often outnumbered by thousands of migrants in
improvised camps around the island.
The
migrants are normally transported to reception centres on the Italian mainland
to be identified and ease the burden on Lampedusa.
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