(ANSAmed) - Brussels, June 28 - Frontex Executive Director Fabrice Leggeri told ANSA on Tuesday that around 300,000 migrants currently in Africa could arrive in Italy from Libya.

"According to our estimates, there are 300,000 migrants who could land in Italy from western Africa via the central Mediterranean route," Leggeri told ANSA.

The executive director warned that "caution" is necessary in forecasts as "numerous variables" can impact migration flows.

He explained that the estimate is based on the number of migrants transiting through the Agadez region in Niger where some 13,000 people have been monitored in a month.

"If the trend continues, we could reach 300,000" migrants.

Niger is a transit country for West African migrants travelling to and from Libya.

In an interview to German newspapers with the Funke group published on Tuesday, Leggeri also warned against the excessive burden carried by Italy with the growing centrality of the central Mediterranean migration route.

"At the moment, the number of refugees reaching Italy from Libya is 13-14 times higher than on the Turkish-Greek route", he was quoted as saying.

