Minister of Internal Affairs Mario Conte loosened his tie, his eyes bloodshot.
Over the past year, the number of refugees and illegal immigrants pouring into Italy has reached new heights. The turmoil in North Africa, the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, and the economic recession in Eastern Europe have flooded the Mediterranean with desperate smuggling boats.
Italy's reception system had long since collapsed, local governments grumbled, and the support for far-right parties in polls skyrocketed.
"Minister, there was another riot at the Lampedusa camp, with two hundred people injured, mainly due to fights among the immigrants. The local mayor has threatened that if the central government does not take action, he will declare a state of emergency on the island and refuse to accept new boats," reported an official.
