Italy: Illegal immigrants land off coast
Adnkronos International August 19 2008

Lampedusa. Sixty-six illegal immigrants were rescued off the southern coast of Italy on Monday. The would-be migrants were spotted 50 nautical miles southeast of the small Italian island of Lampedusa off the Sicilian coast. They called for aid using a satellite phone and were rescued by Italian coast guard authorities.

Twenty-two women and a child were among the immigrants who are believed to have travelled from North Africa.They were all expected to be transferred to the island's temporary reception centre.

More than 15,000 would-be migrants are believed to have landed in southern Italy in 320 landings since the beginning of January 2008.

Italy has the European Union's longest coastline - 4,500 kilometres - making it difficult to police and thus a preferred destination for migrants.

It recently approved a controversial new law targeting illegal immigrants with harsher penalties and swifter deportation procedures.

Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday urged Christians to fight intolerance against foreigners and criticised the government moves to crackdown on illegal immigrants.

http://europenews.dk/en/node/13236