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The refugee camp on Lampedusa has been completely overcrowded since this week.
On Tuesday alone, more than 5000,400 people arrived - more than ever before in a single day. At times, the initial reception camp, which is actually designed for 6800 people, was overcrowded with around <> people.
Claudine Nsoe, who fled Cameroon:
"At the moment I hope that the situation will improve and that they will let us leave here, because the living conditions here are not easy. We sleep in the open air, in the sun and in the cold, the food is not enough... and then there are the children."
Only 6,000 people live on Lampedusa. The islanders showed solidarity. They distributed water and food, helped with childcare,
The island's city council declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in view of the tense situation.
In order to relieve the pressure on the small Mediterranean island, some refugees were brought from there to Sicily by ferry. Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had previously called for a European mission to stop migrant boats on their way to Europe. They were to be prevented from casting off in North Africa.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to travel to Rome on Saturday and then to Lampedusa on Sunday to get an idea of the situation.
Due to its proximity to the Tunisian coastal city of Sfax, Lampedusa has been one of the hotspots of migration to Europe for years.