Berlusconi to visit Lampedusa for mass evacuations

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is set to visit Lampedusa today, as boats arrive to evacuate 6,000 mainly Tunisian immigrants off the overcrowded island to mainland Italy.

"The situation on the island will be resolved" on Wednesday, Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said, as aid organisations warned that the immigrant living conditions are untenable.

Berlusconi, who held an emergency meeting in Rome yesterday evening to address the immigration problem, is expected to announce compensation measures for the local inhabitants of the island where the main industry is tourism.

Two boats arrived this morning and another three are expected during the day following government promises to transport up to 6,000 immigrants off the island to reception centres in Sicily and on mainland Italy.

The San Marco Italian navy vessel is already moored offshore and passenger ferries will also be used to transport the immigrants, mainly young men, many of whom have been sleeping in the open air on the dock for days.

With only three chemical lavatories and little access to water for washing, aid organisations and charities have denounced the government for poor management of the crisis.

"Lampedusa must be cleaned out immediately or the situation will get out of control," health inspector Tullio Prestileo said after inspecting the island.