Gonzi to meet Prodi

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi will be meeting his Italian counterpart Romano Prodi in Rome later this month in another desperate bid to stem the problem of illegal immigration.

The meeting will take place on July 25 at Palazzo Chigi, a month after the two Prime Ministers met at the European Council in Brussels.

"The thrust of the meeting is the threat of illegal immigration to both countries as well as the EU," a spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister told The Times.

Both Malta and Italy are being weighed down by the number of crossings made across the Mediterranean by African asylum seekers.

Since June 20, Malta has witnessed the arrival of over 500 illegal immigrants from North Africa, which brings the number of arrivals since January to 967, almost double the figure of 473 at the same time last year.

Another 106 immigrants reached the Italian island of Lampedusa yesterday.

In a meeting with EU ambassadors earlier this week, Foreign Minister Michael Frendo underlined the urgency of the problem, saying that the large numbers of illegal immigrants arriving in Malta are not only stretching the island's humanitarian responsibilities beyond limits but also have serious security implications.

During their meeting, Dr Gonzi and Prof. Prodi are also expected to discuss the EU's policy dealing with the Mediterranean. One of the major points of contention in the illegal immigration issue is evidently Libya, which has still not committed itself to cooperating over the introduction of patrols by Frontex, the EU border agency. Political observers have interpreted a statement by the government on Thursday in connection with the repatriation of 266 immigrants to Cairo as a clear message to Libya.

"This immediate assistance confirms the excellent relationship between the two countries, and shows that Egypt is a true friend of Malta," the government statement had said.