Focusing on Lampedusa risks distorting the debate over undocumented migration into the EU

The island of Lampedusa has become the focal point of attempts to address irregular migration in the Mediterranean, but how does the EU’s border system at Lampedusa actually function? Giacomo Orsini writes on the nature of the system, noting that it represents a complex combination of surveillance and detention measures. He argues however that the attention focused on Lampedusa itself is disproportionate, with the majority of undocumented migration into the EU taking place via other routes.