Immigration: Italy, 400 migrants land in Lampedusa
Also from Tunisia. Official fear further mass landings
(ANSAmed) - PALERMO - Close to 400 immigrants landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa Sunday, reversing a trend which has seen the amount of arrivals decreasing over recent months. The immigrants, thought to be of sub-saharan descent, were picked up in wooden boats during separate landings. The first, with 231 people aboard, including a pregnant woman and four children, was intercepted around 30 miles off the coast of island. A second, carrying 126 people was picked up Sunday afternoon. Almost all of them are Tunisian. It is thought that they will be housed in the island's 350 capacity detention centre, which last September burned down following rioting by immigrants.
Local harbour officials are said to be concerned about the possibility of a reprisal of the mass immigrant landings on the island in 2011.
Monday, 20 August 2012
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