Four thousand refugees have arrived in recent days on the Italian island of Lampedusa. Thousands more are waiting in Tunisian ports on the crossing. The government in Rome now calls the "humanitarian emergency" from - it has the rush to Europe just begun. Hundreds of exhausted refugees spend the cold nights on the pier of the old port of Porto Vecchio.
If you're lucky, will by the authorities housed in makeshift shelters or from the island's parish priest, Don Stefano Nastasi in his "House of Brotherhood" supplies. The Italian government divided the people, the land with fragile boats from Tunisia, by an air bridge and a few ferries on the way in Sicily and the Italian mainland.
Lampedusa is because of the sudden influx of African guests overwhelmed. Lampedusa is a small, mostly barren island. Scarcely nine kilometers long, up to three kilometers wide. Some nice natural beaches in the south, often difficult to achieve. Cliffs in the north, diving spots. The vast majority of the approximately 4500 residents push himself in and around the small capital, also called Lampedusa, and lives from fishing or tourism.
This could all be nice, would have the island is not a geographical problem: it is only about 100 miles north of Tunisia. And then come again, night after night, small boats and large ships filled with refugees. 4000 there were in the past four days. And the power does not stop. The aircraft of the Coast Guard have identified many boats that were already at sea.
And in the Tunisian ports, it is said, thousands more are waiting for the crossing. 1000 to 1500 € the price for the illegal passage. Nothing, it seems, slows down the people - not even the high risk. The ships are in poor condition can usually be completely overloaded. On Saturday, there was one of those disasters that hardly anyone notices: a tiny boat, laden with twelve men burst, nor very near the coast in südtunesischen Gulf of Gabes - were rescued ten passengers, one died, one is missing .
The rush begins, most of these refugees are Tunisians, fleeing the uncertain future of their country. The dictator, Zine el-Abiline Ben Ali, who for 23 years had the land is under control, but on 14 January before the demonstrating masses of people fled to Saudi Arabia. But there are jobs for the army of the unemployed, it is still not eliminated.
In particular, many young men just want to get away. Police and military, had been strictly monitors the ports and prevented illegal departures largely take care of in these times of political turmoil any more. The gates to Europe are suddenly wide open here. It also attracts people from other North or West African countries.
The real rush to Europe via Tunisia begins, experts predict. Many of the inhabitants of Lampedusa help the unwanted, foreign guests, who arrive suddenly back in droves. They bring something to eat, drink, blankets. You have to remember that still had to emigrate a few decades their countrymen to look for the chance of a better life.
But they also fear that the tourists fail because they do not want to close up their holiday spending at the plight of refugees. It was so in the summers of 2008 and 2009. When wanted to use within one year 20,000 Iraqis and Afghans, Kurds, Senegalese, Nigerians and many other Lampedusa as a gateway to Europe, had over thirty hotels on the island many empty beds.
The Italian government responded quickly, but more diffuse: In a special meeting of the Cabinet of a "human catastrophe" and warned of a "humanitarian emergency" declared. At the same time outraged Rome Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, the new Tunisian authorities do not believe everything on the bilateral agreement on the limitation of movement of refugees between Tunisia and Italy.
Maroni is of the "Lega Nord", a trend towards anti-immigrant party, and he is responsible for ensuring that in Lampedusa before long while, the "reception center" for refugees - was closed - as the cynical name for a stacheldrahtumzäuntes 1,000-bed detention center. The "boat people" from Africa should be discouraged.
And if they still reached Italian territorial waters, or even the island of Lampedusa, they should be returned immediately, without having time to examine their possible asylum claims. Now the employees are at a loss of Lampedusa center at the refugee chaos and must not do anything. What is clear is the government in Rome that the new influx will not abate quickly.
Interior Minister Maroni will therefore take the EU in joint liability. The wave of refugees is ultimately not an Italian problem. Moreover, there is the risk that terrorists also could mix with the immigrants, he warned. The situation in Egypt and Tunisia, threatens the security of Europe.
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, from Berlusconi's party, "People of Freedom", thinks even further. Europe had to think about a kind of "Marshall Plan for North Africa," he says. The economies of these countries should be promoted so that young people would find jobs and opportunities for development and is not forced to saw, to leave their country.
Similar proposals have existed for many years. But never the EU countries have even vaguely thought of the south coast of the Mediterranean really incorporate into their long-term political and ecological strategy. A decent amount of money flowed to the upper class, the pockets filled. That was it.
More it did not need to. For there indeed Diktatn provided for the desired peace. Now these leaders, one driven by one. And all EU governments, the prospective democratization of the North African States welcome with fine words. Maybe they mean it, too seriously and actually help create jobs.
If you're lucky, will by the authorities housed in makeshift shelters or from the island's parish priest, Don Stefano Nastasi in his "House of Brotherhood" supplies. The Italian government divided the people, the land with fragile boats from Tunisia, by an air bridge and a few ferries on the way in Sicily and the Italian mainland.
Lampedusa is because of the sudden influx of African guests overwhelmed. Lampedusa is a small, mostly barren island. Scarcely nine kilometers long, up to three kilometers wide. Some nice natural beaches in the south, often difficult to achieve. Cliffs in the north, diving spots. The vast majority of the approximately 4500 residents push himself in and around the small capital, also called Lampedusa, and lives from fishing or tourism.
This could all be nice, would have the island is not a geographical problem: it is only about 100 miles north of Tunisia. And then come again, night after night, small boats and large ships filled with refugees. 4000 there were in the past four days. And the power does not stop. The aircraft of the Coast Guard have identified many boats that were already at sea.
And in the Tunisian ports, it is said, thousands more are waiting for the crossing. 1000 to 1500 € the price for the illegal passage. Nothing, it seems, slows down the people - not even the high risk. The ships are in poor condition can usually be completely overloaded. On Saturday, there was one of those disasters that hardly anyone notices: a tiny boat, laden with twelve men burst, nor very near the coast in südtunesischen Gulf of Gabes - were rescued ten passengers, one died, one is missing .
The rush begins, most of these refugees are Tunisians, fleeing the uncertain future of their country. The dictator, Zine el-Abiline Ben Ali, who for 23 years had the land is under control, but on 14 January before the demonstrating masses of people fled to Saudi Arabia. But there are jobs for the army of the unemployed, it is still not eliminated.
In particular, many young men just want to get away. Police and military, had been strictly monitors the ports and prevented illegal departures largely take care of in these times of political turmoil any more. The gates to Europe are suddenly wide open here. It also attracts people from other North or West African countries.
The real rush to Europe via Tunisia begins, experts predict. Many of the inhabitants of Lampedusa help the unwanted, foreign guests, who arrive suddenly back in droves. They bring something to eat, drink, blankets. You have to remember that still had to emigrate a few decades their countrymen to look for the chance of a better life.
But they also fear that the tourists fail because they do not want to close up their holiday spending at the plight of refugees. It was so in the summers of 2008 and 2009. When wanted to use within one year 20,000 Iraqis and Afghans, Kurds, Senegalese, Nigerians and many other Lampedusa as a gateway to Europe, had over thirty hotels on the island many empty beds.
The Italian government responded quickly, but more diffuse: In a special meeting of the Cabinet of a "human catastrophe" and warned of a "humanitarian emergency" declared. At the same time outraged Rome Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, the new Tunisian authorities do not believe everything on the bilateral agreement on the limitation of movement of refugees between Tunisia and Italy.
Maroni is of the "Lega Nord", a trend towards anti-immigrant party, and he is responsible for ensuring that in Lampedusa before long while, the "reception center" for refugees - was closed - as the cynical name for a stacheldrahtumzäuntes 1,000-bed detention center. The "boat people" from Africa should be discouraged.
And if they still reached Italian territorial waters, or even the island of Lampedusa, they should be returned immediately, without having time to examine their possible asylum claims. Now the employees are at a loss of Lampedusa center at the refugee chaos and must not do anything. What is clear is the government in Rome that the new influx will not abate quickly.
Interior Minister Maroni will therefore take the EU in joint liability. The wave of refugees is ultimately not an Italian problem. Moreover, there is the risk that terrorists also could mix with the immigrants, he warned. The situation in Egypt and Tunisia, threatens the security of Europe.
Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, from Berlusconi's party, "People of Freedom", thinks even further. Europe had to think about a kind of "Marshall Plan for North Africa," he says. The economies of these countries should be promoted so that young people would find jobs and opportunities for development and is not forced to saw, to leave their country.
Similar proposals have existed for many years. But never the EU countries have even vaguely thought of the south coast of the Mediterranean really incorporate into their long-term political and ecological strategy. A decent amount of money flowed to the upper class, the pockets filled. That was it.
More it did not need to. For there indeed Diktatn provided for the desired peace. Now these leaders, one driven by one. And all EU governments, the prospective democratization of the North African States welcome with fine words. Maybe they mean it, too seriously and actually help create jobs.
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