Immigration centre overflows

2004-10-03 18:34

Rome - The reception centre for would-be immigrants on the Italian Mediterranean island of Lampedusa is bursting at the seams after hundreds of clandestine immigrants arrived on Saturday night.

Authorities said on Sunday a total of 1 257 people were being accommodated in a centre run by a charitable organisation and designed to house 200.

Late on Saturday night naval patrols picked up a boatload of 223 immigrants about 50km south of the island, which is about 200km southwest of Sicily.

The boat in which they were travelling was taking in water and sank shortly after its passengers had been transferred to the patrol boats.

At about the same time another group of 113 was picked up on one of the island's beaches, almost by accident, by a group of police officers eating in a nearby restaurant.

Finally, late at night, another boat carrying 306 passengers (and not 200 as originally announced by the authorities) was escorted into harbour by coastguards.

The effect was to flood the reception centre.

Earlier in the day the Italian authorities had managed to cut the numbers there to around 600 by flying back to Libya about 300 immigrants who had arrived during the previous few days.

Two further flights to Tripoli were being planned.

- AFP