Commission to probe Tunisian migrant influx

Italy’s Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi announced yesterday the creation of a binational commission with Tunisia in a bid to halt the immigration wave from the north African state.

“We have agreed to put in place a technical commission to look into the issue of immigration,” the Italian leader announced after meeting Tunisia’s interim president Foued Mebazaa and Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi.

Mr Berlusconi’s visit comes amid a rising tide of Tunisians arriving by boat at Italy’s Lampedusa island.

More than 22,000 migrants mostly from Tunisia have landed on Lampedusa, population 5,000, since president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in a popular revolt in January.

The Italian government has asked Tunis to stop the exodus and to take back those migrants who have already arrived in Italy.

Mr Berlusconi said his country would provide financial aid to allow Tunisia to exercise more effective control over its coastline.

“The most important issue at the moment is the high number of young Tunisians who find themselves in Italy and want to emigrate to Europe,” he said.

“The migratory flux continues: in the night from Saturday to Sunday 800 Tunisian migrants disembarked – thus the necessity to find a solution.”

Mr Berlusconi said the repatriation of Tunisians would happen in a “civilised fashion”, stressing Italy’s strong ties with Tunisia.

Italy’s Interior Minister Roberto Maroni is remaining in Tunis today to work out the final details of a binational accord on the immigration issue.

The massive influx of migrants has sparked weeks of protests from Lampedusa residents and fierce condemnation from aid organisations over living conditions on the overcrowded island.

Meanwhile Italy officially recognised Libya’s interim national council yesterday and promised sweeping economic aid measures for the rebel-held east in a significant shift in its diplomatic position.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said Italy would be sending expert personnel to Libya to help regenerate the economy and rebuild areas badly damaged by the fighting.

The Italian minister also dismissed overtures from embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as a regime envoy, Deputy Foreign Minister Abdelati Laabidi, criss-crossed the Mediterranean in a bout of intensive diplomacy.

Mr Frattini said the main message from Mr Laabidi’s visit to Athens was: “‘The regime will respect the ceasefire’. Nothing was said about a departure of Gaddafi. That’s why it’s not possible for us to accept the situation. The proposals are not credible. It is not possible to accept them.”

With strong economic ties at risk – Libya is an ex-Italian colony and Italy’s top trade partner – Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was initially reluctant to “bother” his friend Gaddafi when the crisis broke in February.

Italy has since offered strategic bases to allow Nato to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya and pushed for a diplomatic strategy to oust the Libyan leader.

But the government also condemned France at the end of March for recognising the Libyan council and said last week that arming the rebels would be an “extreme” measure likely to divide the international community.