Brussels, 16/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Frontex agency is preparing to send a mission to Italy. On 15 February it provided indications on its website about migrant flows to the south of the country, particularly Lampedusa, since the beginning of January. According to Frontex estimates based on data provided by the Italian authorities, 5526 migrants (mainly Tunisians) were intercepted between 1 January and 13 February. Lampedusa has been particularly affected, with 5031 migrants, 3000 of them from Tunisia, between 11 and 13 February. Out of these 5526 migrants, 5384 were men, 34 were women and 108 minors, 90 of whom were non-accompanied.
On Tuesday 15 February in Strasbourg Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, in charge of home affairs, explained that 27 people had been arrested for human trafficking. These migrant flows are at record numbers in the south of Italy, pointed out Frontex. Numbers peaked in 2008, with 7200 migrants but these were over the course of a whole year.
On Tuesday, Malmström promised to provide Italy with aid, notably, through financial assistance to help tackle requirements linked to “accommodation, health spending and legal costs” for the Tunisians who have recently arrived in Lampedusa - the majority of whom intend to submit requests for asylum. The commissioner also called on the EU to help Tunisia and target more of its aid on job creation in the country.
This request was supported by MEPs who consider this as an urgent issue. Simon Busuttil (EPP, Malta), the rapporteur on Frontex, therefore requested “a real Marshall Plan for Tunisia (which should in exchange control its borders and develop repatriation measures when possible”. Malmström also stated that Tunisia should take back migrants who do not require international protection. The key element, however, for Busuttil remains respect for the principle of solidarity between member states and “burden” sharing on immigration and asylum matters.
Barbara Lochbihler (Greens/EFA, Germany) called for a new mandate for Frontex and assistance to Tunisia so that it can “provide its citizens with prospects in their own country”. Mario Mauro (EPP, Italy), who had previously called for a special EU 27 summit on the subject, said that the EU should look further ahead and develop a genuine strategy for democracy and freedom in the Mediterranean, which goes beyond the specific problem of illegal immigration. He exclaimed: “Let's therefore help the Mediterranean in a similar way to how we helped Eastern Europe”.
Other MEPs, including Mara Bizzotto (EFD), underlined the security dimension and said that they should examine the way in which immigration flows could possibly be exploited by criminals or potential terrorists. These views were contested by a number of MEPs such as Sonia Alfano (ALDE), who expressed concern about what could happen to immigrants when they were repatriated. As Rui Tavares (GUE/NGL) said: “Let's not forget that in the Tunisia of Ben Ali, emigration was criminalised”. (S.P./L.G./transl.fl)