Sicily gives 24-hour notice to migrants to leave or risk arrest due to COVID-19 fears

The governor of Sicily delivered overnight orders to rid all refugees from the island's centers and ban migrants from arriving, alarmed by a surge of COVID-19 cases weeks before schools are to reopen.

"By midnight on Monday, all migrants present in the hotspots and in every reception center in Sicily will have to be transferred to structures outside the island without delay," Gov. Nello Musumeci stated in the ordinance. "It is not possible to guarantee the stay on the island in compliance with the health measures to prevent contagion."

As stipulated, all centers housing migrants awaiting processing of asylum applications will be shut down by the end of Monday.

The 33-page ordinance also read: "In order to protect and guarantee public health and safety, in the absence of suitable reception facilities, it is forbidden to enter, transit and stop in the territory of the Sicilian Region by every migrant who reaches the Sicilian coasts with large and small boats, including those of NGOs."

His order, effective through Sept. 10, also forbids any boat, including charity vessels, to transport migrants to the island.

"Failure to comply with the obligations set out in this ordinance entails the sanctioning consequences provided for by the law in force," the ordinance ended.

Musumeci acknowledged that his directive might be challenged in court, because the national government, not regional governors, dictate migrant policies.

While some migrants have tested positive, vacationers returning from Mediterranean Sea resorts abroad as well from the island of Sardinia lately have accounted for a majority of Italy's new coronavirus infections, WWMT reported.

On Saturday, migrants were attributed to 16 of Sicily’s 48 confirmed infections.

Italy has experienced a recent spike in coronavirus cases since the start of the official summer holiday with the daily case count rising from Jul. 29 and weekly totals rising from the the end of June to Aug. 10, Newsweek reported.

"We cannot nullify the sacrifices made in past months. Our priority must be that of opening schools in September, in full safety," the minister of health Roberto Speranza warned on Facebook last weekend.