ITALY: Immigration commissioner calls for swifter migrant transfer

Record ID: 348404

  • Title: ITALY: Immigration commissioner calls for swifter migrant transfer
  • Date: 9th March 2011
  • Summary: LAMPEDUSA, ITALY (MARCH 8, 2011) (REUTERS) MIGRANT IN HOLDING CENTRE COURTYARD POLICE GUARDING MIGRANTS MIGRANTS GATHERED IN COURTYARD HOLDING CENTRE BARRACKS AT HOLDING CENTRE MIGRANTS LOOKING THROUGH FENCE ITALY'S TOP IMMIGRATION COMMISSIONER GIUSEPPE CARUSO TOURING HOLDING CENTRE VARIOUS OF CARUSO SPEAKING WITH CENTRE REPRESENTATIVES AND VOLUNTEER WORKERS VARIO
  • Embargoed: 24th March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Italy, Italy
  • Country: Italy
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVAAD56X2IMBXCWFV818KS4WGRW9
  • Story Text: Italy's top immigration commissioner Giuseppe Caruso called on Tuesday (March 8) for a swifter transfer of migrants from Lampedusa as the holding centre on the island nears collapse.
    Caruso walked around the temporary holding structure on the island to see for himself how the centre is coping with the influx of over 1,000 mainly Tunisian migrants in the last twenty-four hours.
    The structure was built to temporarily feed and provide bedding for just over 800 occupants. There are currently estimated to be 1,700 migrants inside the structure.
    Many of the Tunisians easily manage to evade the enclosure and spend their day on the mountainside overlooking the structure in the fresh air.
    The migrants are given food vouchers with the date of their arrival by boat written on them.
    "I know two or three people in Italy, I have some relatives in France but that's it. But I'll see, even if I have no money and I'm very hungry and thirsty, we'll see," one of the migrants wondering around the hillside said.
    Authorities plan to speed up flights to carry out migrants from the island to other, larger holding centres on mainland Italy and Sicily.
    Some 100 migrants were taken to Lampedusa's airport on Tuesday afternoon, where they could be seen boarding an airplane, carrying their meagre belongings in plastic bags.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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