Europe agrees to help Italy cope with refugee influx

 

Italy will require immigrants to apply for asylum

Italy's government has declared a humanitarian emergency the island of Lampedusa as thousands of refugees flock there from post-revolutionary Tunisia. After an appeal from Rome for help, the EU is set to lend a hand.

 

European authorities agreed on Sunday to help Italy cope with the "exceptional pressure" created as thousands of illegal immigrants flee Tunisia.

The European Union response came after the Italian cabinet proclaimed in a statement that it was dealing with "a state of humanitarian emergency following the influx of the large number of citizens from North Africa."

Rome said the decision would enable authorities "to take immediate action needed to control this phenomenon and assist citizens who have fled from North Africa."

Thousands of people have arrived by boat in recent daysAfter an appeal from Rome to Brussels for help, Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström was said to be "fully aware of the exceptional pressure on Italy."

A commission spokeswoman said the response was being addressed partly through the Frontex agency, a Warsaw-based European body that coordinates resources to patrol EU borders.

"Commissioner Malmström is in contact with the Frontex agency and with the European asylum support office to examine how they can assist the Italian authorities," she said.

Read the whole story on: Deutsche Welle