A new memorial is expected to be unveiled on the island of Lampedusa, near Sicily, to serve as a memorial and reminder of the thousands of would-be migrants to Italy, that have died during their travels. It is not certain the number of migrants that have died in the past 20 years of this escalation in illegal immigration, but some estimated that as many as 12,000 may have perished in the journey. Most of the migrants trying to reach Italy come by way of North Africa, hoping to seek a better life in Italy. The Italian office of the UNHCR, the Italian Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the southern Italian regions of Puglia and Sicily will sponsor the memorial in Lampedusa.
