German-Italian plans are going ahead for the European Union to set up camps in Libya to prevent illegal migrants from reaching Italian shores and fanning out across Europe, Italy's interior minister said yesterday.
In June 2003, Britain was forced to drop similar proposals to create asylum camps outside the European Union after pressure from Sweden and France who said they breached international law.
Italy and Germany revived the idea of migrant repatriation camps outside the wealthy European bloc over the summer, but have met criticism from EU lawmakers and human rights groups.
"The camps will go ahead. There was never a problem with the proposal, there were only polemics that ended up in newspapers," Giuseppe Pisanu said in an interview with Il Messaggero newspaper a day after meeting Libyan officials in Tripoli.
Italy wants the EU to set up camps in Libya, a popular jumping off point for African migrants in search of a better life inside Europe.
The proposals to set up holding centres for migrants and the question of how to intercept people trying to cross the Mediterranean are due to be discussed at an informal meeting of EU justice and interior ministers this week.
Amnesty International said it was greatly concerned by the ideas, particularly whether they offered asylum seekers adequate protection. Amnesty was also troubled by the idea of involving Libya in the plans, citing its human rights record.
"We are extremely concerned that these procedures would not offer adequate protection to people," Daphne Bouteillet, executive officer on asylum policy, told reporters in Brussels.
Italy is a key player in the immigration debate as thousands of migrants risk their lives trying to reach the country. Officials have discovered more than 9,000 illegal immigrants entering the country so far this year.
Italy has been working with Libya to try to plug the influx and pushed hard for last week's decision to lift the EU's trade and arms embargo with Libya, to allow it to send more assistance to leader Muammar Gaddafi to stop migrants and traffickers.
"The lifting of the embargo will allow Italy to sell to Gaddafi... aeroplanes, boats, helicopters and off-road vehicles, necessary to block the traffic of illegal immigrants," Mr Pisanu said.
In Tripoli, Libya's official news agency Jana made no mention of any concrete deals during Mr Pisanu's visit to combat illegal immigration, including camps for would-be immigrants.
"Italy is working in earnest to forge a cooperation programme against illegal immigration in which both Libya and Italy play a leading role," Jana quoted Mr Pisanu as saying following his talks with Gaddafi.
Gaddafi has warned EU leaders the illegal immigration will worsen if Europe does not increase aid and investment in Africa to help create more jobs.
Mr Pisanu said in his interview Italian officials would go to Libya next month to help combat human trafficking, and that Libya had repatriated 4,500 migrants who tried to reach Italy.
"We also need to give a harsh response to human trafficking behind which organisations operate that could be hiding Islamic terrorists," he said.
Amnesty said the planned camps could act as magnets for ruthless traffickers, who make thousands of dollars offering migrants illegal entry into Europe.