AFP - The mass landings of Tunisians on the small Italian island of Lampedusa continued Sunday, causing concern that Rome has launched an appeal for international help to tackle the crisis and wants to deploy police in Tunisia.
"I ask the Tunisian Minister of Foreign Affairs the authorization for our forces to operate in Tunisia to block the flow. The Tunisian system is collapsing," said Interior Minister Roberto Maroni on the news TG5.
The spokesperson of the Tunisian government has called the idea "unacceptable", later in the evening on the television channel Al-Arabiya.
Mr.Maroni, a member of the Northern League, a party and populist anti-immigrant, also criticized the lack of a concerted European action, saying the EU "has only left Italy, as usual, opposite landed about 5,000 people in five days.
"Europe does nothing. I am very concerned and asked for the urgent intervention of the EU because the Maghreb is exploding. As usual, we were left alone. We manage the only with the humanitarian emergency preparedness.Intervention is essential for Europe, "insisted the minister.
In Tunis, a government source said in the evening to AFP that the Tunisian authorities had sent reinforcements to stem the flow of illegals from the Tunisian coast to Europe.
In Brussels, the European Commission said it was reviewing the measures it might take to assist Italy.
European Commissioner for Security Cecilia Malmström "spoke personally yesterday with Mr.Maroni, and she is fully aware of the exceptional pressure on Italy "is that this massive landing, said a spokesman for the Commission.
Nearly 1,400 people arrived in Lampedusa since Saturday midnight only, according to Coast Guard figures.
To ease the immigrants, Italian authorities decided the immediate opening of first reception center which was closed in 2009, and about a thousand people have found shelter immediately.
"It became impossible for us to live in Tunisia: it is violence, abductions, we do not know which controls the country is adrift," said a woman came into the night, who says he wants to rejoin his family France.
"We are afraid.The revolution of January did not change anything. We want to find work in Europe and we ask the help of the Italian people, "said a young man on TV Sky TG-24.
The Italian government has declared Saturday the state of humanitarian emergency, which allows you to take immediate action and rapid mobilization of financial resources
"But that's not enough, we must mobilize the Mediterranean countries which have ships, planes and helicopters" to control the coast of Tunisia, said in an interview with Corriere della Sera the Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.
Mr Frattini called the "Model Albania" to solve the refugee problem in Tunisia.In the 90s, when thousands of Albanian refugees arrived in Italy, Rome has deployed with the consent of Tirana, military vessels in Albanian waters, thus stopping the illegal traffickers.
The minister also announced Sunday night a lightning visit to Tunisia on Monday afternoon, during which he will meet Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi on the sidelines of a trip planned for some time in Syria and Jordan.
The chief diplomat of the EU, the British Ashton, must also travel to Tunisia on Monday.
