LIBYA: Illegal immigration of Africans travelling to the European Union is discussed by European and African ministers at a conference in Tripoli

The illegal flow of migrants using North Africa as a transit route to Europe was debated by European and African ministers at a conference on Wednesday (November 22) in Tripoli, Libya. The European Union and African Union meeting comes amid growing European concern over illegal immigration. This year the Spanish authorities detained 28,000 people in the Canary Islands, while 16,000 were held on the Italian island of Lampedusa. The two-day meeting is the first of its kind and scale to be held on migration. Libyan Foreign Minister Abdurrahman Shalgham said that Libya's two million illegal immigrants are causing real problems in his country. He said. "We suffer from disease, insecurity and crimes, because of the immigrant population. In the conference we are discussing the best solution....It is the creation of development projects in the countries of origin of the immigrants." Italian Interior Minister, Galliano Amato, told reporters the West should be shouldering the cost of these problems, "Obviously because it is difficult for the countries of origin and for Libya to cope with this matter, it's down to the aid of richer part of the world that they are so close to and we are there, Europe," he told reporters. The two continents are due to adopt a declaration seeking ways to address issues like the protection of refugees, the fight against irregular migration and joint border patrol. A join action plan to combat the slave trade, especially in women and children, is also expected to be agreed.

ITN Source | November 23, 2006

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