MILAN — Over the last year, thousands of migrants and refugees have made the perilous journey from the shores of Libya to the Italian coast. The figures of new arrivals in 2016 were set to surpass 2017 — that is, until last month.

Italy received over 78,000 people from Jan. 1 to July 12, 2016, according to the International Organization for Migration. The same dates in 2017 recorded over 86,000 new arrivals.

But August saw an 87% drop in new arrivals in Italy, and the development has left researchers and monitors scratching their heads as to what is behind such a massive change in migration. Initially, nobody seemed to know why there was such a drop in newcomers. Recent details have emerged though, and it turns out that a large part has come down to Italian influence.

In a recent interview with the Guardian on Sept. 7, controversial Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti said he cut deals with warring tribes in southern Libya to try to halt migration coming across the borders of Chad, Mali and Niger. Minniti said he didn’t bribe the tribes but offered them resources to build an “alternative economy.”