Italians should know how these things happen. A quick wrestle with Med countries in northern Africa (Libya for Italy, Morocco for Spain) and the immigration waves can easily commence. We need more empathy and more memory, but people need political elites and the media to lead on this.
Shameful of Italy's govt - they would be screaming for European help from the top of the lungs if this was happening in Lampedusa (not an enclave but go check out the map to see how far it is from Africa). But you know, it is out of sight out of mind so the right will of course capitalize.