Migrants land at Lampedusa

More than 600 illegal immigrants have landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa, near the North African coast, in less than 24 hours - the largest influx of migrants this year, the coastguard said yesterday.

Yet more migrants were expected to arrive on Italy's tiny southern outcrop later in the day after they were plucked from a boat by a coastguard patrol close to the island.

A coastguard spokesman said Lampedusa had not seen such a large number of immigrants for at least five months. He said people traffickers were taking advantage of calmer waters to ferry refugees across the Mediterranean.Tens of thousands of third world immigrants try to get into Italy every year in search of a better life in Europe, using north African ports as a stepping stone to theWest.

Lampedusa's biggest previous influx this year was in March, when more than 400 migrants arrived in just a few days.

Then, Italy immediately flew 180 of them back to Libya, saying they had set sail from there and would not be granted refugee status.

The United Nations and Amnesty International voiced concern over the airlift, questioning whether Italy had given the group a fair hearing.

It was not clear if Italy would try to send any of the latest arrivals back immediately.