25/08/2008 (Agence Europe) - More than 1,000 illegal immigrants have been intercepted off Italy and Spain over the last few days. All are sub-Saharan African or from Eritrea. Authorities came to the aid of 1,005 off the coast of Italy and assistance was brought to 117 off the Spanish Canary Islands at the end of last week. The number of illegal immigrants arriving on the shores of Italy has almost doubled over the first seven months of the year compared with the same period last year, exceeding 15,000, according to the Italian Home Office. Italian press agency Ansa says that the main detention centre at Lampedusa, which was built for 850, is now housing 1,200. Over the course of the first seven months of the year, 7,165 illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa have sailed to Spain, according to figures released by the Spanish Minister for Home Affairs. (B.C./transl.rt)