As Asylum-Seekers Clog Italy’s Courts, Europe Is No Help

The number of migrants reaching Italy’s shores has spiked, and migrants are now overwhelming the system, an Italian official told Reuters. About half a million people arrived over the last three years, compared with 119,000 in the previous three. The main reason for the spike seems to be the new EU registration system.

For years, Italy had turned a blind eye to many migrants and let them head north, but now Brussels requires the country to set up migrant centers called “hotspots.” Asylum requests are being processed in about 100 days, officials said, but rejected applicants can appeal, which can take years and is overwhelming Italy’s civil justice system.