Tripoli/Rome (Earth Times) - Twenty-two Italian citizens were allowed into Libya Tuesday, with 55 being rejected, as their foreign minister placed blame on Switzerland for the troubles. Of the four Italian nationals detained at the Tripoli airport on Monday amid escalating tensions between European countries and the North African oil-producer, three have been allowed to enter Libya, a Foreign Ministry official told the German Press Agency dpa.
The fourth returned to Italy, while 19 other Italian nationals who subsequently arrived at Tripoli airport were allowed to enter Libya, she said.
But another 55 Italian travelers who arrived over the course of Tuesday were denied entry to Tripoli, the official added.
Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has said Switzerland, which earlier this year operationally joined the Schengen zone of free movement for people in Europe, was abusing the agreement.
Frattini told Italian media that Swiss tensions with Libya were holding "hostage" the 25 member Schengen zone and that the Alpine country could have avoided the current troubles.
The row dates to July 2008 when police in Geneva briefly detained Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of Libya's leader, along with his wife, for abusing their staff and Tripoli has since been holding two Swiss citizens for alleged visa violations.
Rome issued a warning Monday that Libyan authorities were denying entry to Schengen-zone passport holders.
The European Commission on Tuesday said it "deplores (Libya's) unilateral and disproportionate" decision and that Schengen countries would consider an "appropriate reaction."
Spokesman Michele Cercone said that Swiss and Libyan authorities were in talks.
"The commission hopes that a diplomatic solution can be found as soon as possible," Cercone said.
The Libyan government has not publicly confirmed it is denying entry visas to citizens of the European countries that make up the Schengen zone.
Adding to the confusion, the German airline Lufthansa, which owns Swiss Air, on Tuesday said Libya had given no sign of refusing entry to more travelers from Europe than usual.
Lufthansa said it was continuing its usual passenger service to Tripoli.
A Monday flight from Frankfurt to Tripoli carried 58 passengers, of whom four were denied entry for no obvious reason, but a refusal by Libyan border authorities to let in certain passengers was not unusual. Those refused returned to Germany with the same plane.
Lufthansa said all the other passengers, the bulk of them from the European Union, were admitted to Libya...
The fourth returned to Italy, while 19 other Italian nationals who subsequently arrived at Tripoli airport were allowed to enter Libya, she said.
But another 55 Italian travelers who arrived over the course of Tuesday were denied entry to Tripoli, the official added.
Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini has said Switzerland, which earlier this year operationally joined the Schengen zone of free movement for people in Europe, was abusing the agreement.
Frattini told Italian media that Swiss tensions with Libya were holding "hostage" the 25 member Schengen zone and that the Alpine country could have avoided the current troubles.
The row dates to July 2008 when police in Geneva briefly detained Hannibal Gaddafi, the son of Libya's leader, along with his wife, for abusing their staff and Tripoli has since been holding two Swiss citizens for alleged visa violations.
Rome issued a warning Monday that Libyan authorities were denying entry to Schengen-zone passport holders.
The European Commission on Tuesday said it "deplores (Libya's) unilateral and disproportionate" decision and that Schengen countries would consider an "appropriate reaction."
Spokesman Michele Cercone said that Swiss and Libyan authorities were in talks.
"The commission hopes that a diplomatic solution can be found as soon as possible," Cercone said.
The Libyan government has not publicly confirmed it is denying entry visas to citizens of the European countries that make up the Schengen zone.
Adding to the confusion, the German airline Lufthansa, which owns Swiss Air, on Tuesday said Libya had given no sign of refusing entry to more travelers from Europe than usual.
Lufthansa said it was continuing its usual passenger service to Tripoli.
A Monday flight from Frankfurt to Tripoli carried 58 passengers, of whom four were denied entry for no obvious reason, but a refusal by Libyan border authorities to let in certain passengers was not unusual. Those refused returned to Germany with the same plane.
Lufthansa said all the other passengers, the bulk of them from the European Union, were admitted to Libya...
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