[Al Jazeera] Tunisian colonists 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 colonists 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 decamped the enclosure.
Several of the escapees later returned to the colonist detention centre.
Under the deal, Italy agreed to grant six-month residence permits to colonists who arrived before April 5, while Tunisia agreed to the deportation of anyone arriving after that date.
Lampedusa measures just 20sq km and is closer to North Africa than to mainland Italy. More than 25,000 colonists have arrived in fishing boats from North Africa since the start of the year and most have been moved to detention centres on the Italian mainland.