Italy 'to deploy police to Tunisia' to tackle migration

13 February 2011
Last updated at 17:00 GMT

Italy 'to deploy police to Tunisia' to tackle migration

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The Italian government is to ask for permission to deploy its police in Tunisia, to tackle a sudden wave of immigration, say officials.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said Europe was not doing anything to help stop the flow of migrants, the Italian news agency Ansa reports.

More than 4,000 migrants are reported to have arrived on the island of Lampedusa in the past few days.

Italy has declared a humanitarian emergency and called for EU assistance.

Mr Maroni, who is a member of the anti-immigration Northern League party, said the Tunisian system was "collapsing".

"I will ask the Tunisian foreign ministry for permission for our authorities to intervene to stop the flow in Tunisia," Ansa quoted him as saying.

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ENDS

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