In Italy, the small island of Lampedusa is asking the Italian government for help after 7,000 asylum seekers arrived by boat over a two-day period this week and are living in precarious conditions. The island’s population is typically just over 6,000 people. Arrivals in Spain’s Canary Islands also tripled in the first half of the month. Racist rhetoric against Black Africans by Tunisian President Kais Saied has helped drive the increase in asylum seekers hoping for a safer home in Europe.