🇮🇹 Italy · Lampedusa

Hotspot di Lampedusa

Reception centre Former government property 📍 Contrada Imbriacola, 92010 Lampedusa e Linosa (AG) Capacity: 640 Converted: 2015

Was: State property repurposed as a primary reception and first-aid center

Hotspot di Lampedusa (Centro di Primo Soccorso e Accoglienza) is located in Contrada Imbriacola on the island of Lampedusa, Italy. It serves as Europe's primary disembarkation and first-reception hotspot for migrants arriving via the Central Mediterranean route.

Context & Capacity: Although its official baseline capacity is around 400 to 640 places, the facility frequently experiences extreme overcrowding. During peak arrival periods, such as the crisis in 2023, the centre held upwards of 6,000 to 7,000 individuals at a single time, placing intense strain on local island infrastructure.

Operations & Management: The facility is overseen by the Prefettura di Agrigento. In 2023, the Italian central government transferred the daily operational management—including catering, basic medical care, and logistics—to the Croce Rossa Italiana (Italian Red Cross) to improve humanitarian conditions. Despite these efforts, the sheer volume of arrivals frequently exceeds structural capabilities.

Location

Official contacts & outreach

Requests we have sent to councils, mayors and local authorities about this facility, with the status of their response.

Prefettura di Agrigento Local authority Awaiting response

Requested: 8 Oct 2026

What we asked: 1. Please provide a detailed demographic and statistical breakdown (including country of origin and religious affiliation, if recorded) of the individuals housed at the facility since the Croce Rossa Italiana assumed management in 2023.
2. What was the total financial expense and cost of the management convention awarded for the operation of the facility over the last three financial years?
3. Please provide copies of any formal community consultation documents or correspondence with the Lampedusa e Linosa local council regarding the community's consent and the infrastructural impact of maintaining the hotspot in Contrada Imbriacola.

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