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Italy: Illegal immigrants land off coast
(AKI) - Sixty-six illegal immigrants were rescued off the southern coast of Italy on Monday.Here I am! I'm all yours! I've got something in my drawers! The would-be migrants were spotted 50 nautical miles southeast of the small Italian island of Lampedusa off the Sicilian coast. They called for aid using a satellite phone and were rescued by Italian coast guard authorities. Twenty-two women and a child were among the immigrants who are believed to have travelled from North Africa.They were all expected to be transferred to the island's temporary reception centre. More than 15,000 would-be migrants are believed to have landed in southern Italy in 320 landings since the beginning of January 2008. Italy has the European Union's longest coastline - 4,500 kilometres - making it difficult to police and thus a preferred destination for migrants. It recently approved a controversial new law targeting illegal immigrants with harsher penalties and swifter deportation procedures. Posted by: Fred 2008-08-19 |
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=247578 |