Angelina Jolie in Lampedusa, the head of the UNHCR

The High Commissioner for Refugees United Nations, Antonio Guterres and U.S. actress Angelina Jolie, UN Ambassador, thanked the people of Lampedusa Sunday for their generosity in hosting this year thousands of migrants.

The actress, a surprise arrival in Malta, visited the center of this small island in southern Italy and insisted on leaving his fingerprints as migrants in their boat ramp.

"It's an honor to be here on your beautiful island. You can not imagine what you represented this year for all those who are desperately seeking help," Jolie said at the Lampedusains.

By participating in a ceremony at the Gateway to Europe in honor of the migrants who have perished at sea trying to reach Europe, it found "difficult watching the sea so beautiful to think of all those people who risked and killed them and their children. "

"As their lives must have been horrible to decide to embark on tubs running the risk of starvation or drowning," said the actress about thousands of African refugees who fled the conflict in this year Libya.

According to the Catholic community of Sant'Egidio, 1820 immigrants from North Africa, mostly from countries south of the Sahara, drowned in the Mediterranean since early January by sailing to Europe.

Asked about the presence of the American star, Mr. Guterres stressed that "it is not only a celebrity but a person competent and very committed." "I often asked to go on a mission for me. Of course it helps our cause but it would even without advertising. This is an excellent member of our team," he said.

UNHCR chief also thanked warmly the people of Lampedusa for "the sense of hospitality they have shown in recent years against migrants."