EU emergency border mission to Italy begins work

Sun, 20 Feb 2011

Brussels - The emergency EU border mission "Hermes," sent to help Italy cope with an influx of immigrants from Tunisia, began work Sunday.

Italian authorities say over 5,000 people have landed in the tiny southern island of Lampedusa since mid-January, when a democratic uprising toppled Tunisian president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. Italy has demanded EU help to deal with the rush.

"Hermes", sent by the EU agency Frontex, will employ at least one airplane and several patrol boats, Italian media reported. It would work together with Italian and Maltese coast guards to prevent a new exodus.

A further 30 EU experts are expected to arrive in Lampedusa in the coming days, in order to help establish the nationalities of the immigrants.

A large number of immigrants would be sent back to the North African country this week, media quoted EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom as saying.

Italy had previously accused the European Union of being slow and unwilling to provide help.

A further 13 men, who claimed to come from Tunisia, arrived on the 20-kilometer-square island on Sunday. A boat with an estimated 100 immigrants on board was also sighted off the coast, media reported.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/368301,border-mission-italy-work.html.