Brussels, 26/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - Meeting on Tuesday 25 October at the 51st Conference of the European Migration Network (EMN), European home affairs ministers, experts and associations expressed their fear of massive migration from the countries of North Africa after the revolutions of the Arab Spring. The thrust of the conference on tackling illegal migration is closely related to “recent migration events in the southern part of the EU's external border. Mechanisms and measures currently implemented to combat illegal migration in the southern (Mediterranean area) and eastern (Eastern Partnership area) sections of the EU's external border will be compared”, according to the Polish ministry of the interior and administration.
Opening the conference, Polish Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of the Interior Piotr Stachanczyk said that “Europe will have to face a substantial flow of immigration from North Africa to the south of the EU following the Arab Spring”. The Italian island of Lampedusa was hit by a wave of illegal immigration, mainly of Tunisians, Algerians and Libyans, at the end of February. Since then, others have spoken up to put the reasons for the fears into context. For example, Philippe Fargaes, head of the Centre for Migration Policy at the European University Institute of Florence said: “We have to bear in mind that illegal crossings are a highly mediatised form of immigration, but, in reality, very small-scale - most leave their countries on tourist visas!” (VW/transl.rt)