Riot at migrant detention centre follows controversial deportation deal between Tunisian and Italian authorities. Al Jazeera. 12 Apr 2011 04:38
Tunisian migrants being held in a compound on the Italian island of Lampedusa have rioted after a controversial deal struck between Rome and Tunis last week paved the way for their deportation. Some of the migrants shouted “Freedom! Freedom!” at the centre where hundreds are being held. Other migrants started a small fire on Monday which was quickly put out by the fire brigade, local media reported, and dozens fled the enclosure.
Around 250 people have been reported missing, and at least 15 appear to have died, after a boat carrying migrants from North Africa capsized in heavy seas near the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, coast guard officials have said. Rescuers picked up 48 people from the sea after the boat sank at around 4am on Wednesday, 40 miles south of Lampedusa, but high winds and rough seas made it difficult for coast guard boats and a police helicopter to operate. The ANSA and LaPresse news agencies reported that at least 20 bodies had been seen, including those of women and children, while officials said that between 15 and 20 people were confirmed to have died. Upon arriving in Lampedusa, survivors were given blankets, warm drinks and food, and rescuers said that many were in a state of shock and suffering from hypothermia.
By Matthew Carr. LAST UPDATED 7:36 AM, APRIL 5, 2011. The First Post
European leaders have been criticised for the selective humanitarian impulses that impelled them to turn against their erstwhile ally Colonel Gaddafi, while remaining passive in the face of the repression of pro-democracy protests in Yemen or Bahrain. Libyan oil has been cited as one of the main reasons for this discrepancy. But there is another aspect of European hypocrisy and double-standards in dealing with the Libyan dictator that has received less attention  namely Libya’s crucial role as a barrier against Europe’s unwanted immigrants. With a possible endgame in the Libyan civil war now beginning to emerge, with Gaddafi sending his envoy Abdelati al-Obeidi to Greece to discuss a way out of the conflict, it is worth reminding ourselves of the extent of such cooperation.
Around 350 migrants from Tunisia have arrived by boat overnight on an Italian island where authorities have declared a humanitarian emergency. Thousands fleeing turmoil in North Africa, mostly from Tunisia, had already reached Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea before bad weather interrupted the flow last week. Local authorities said the new arrivals were transferred to a reception centre and are in good condition.
