Lampedusa is a small island in the Mediterranean Sea and Italy. Tunisia is the closest shore to Lampedusa at a distance of approximately 113 kilometres (70 mi) from Tunisia, and it is the southernmost point in Italy. Its population of approximately 4,500 subsists on fishing, agriculture and tourism. It has lately been known primarily for its role as an entry point to Europe for impoverished illegal immigrants from Africa.
Since the beginning of the year almost 15,000 illegal immigrants have arrived on the island swamping the island. From Lampedusa the immigrants hope to be to be transferred to mainland Italy from which they can travel to countries such as France, Germany, Holland and the UK.
Most of the immigrants arriving in Lampedusa make the trip from Tunisia from which they are said to be fleeing due to the unrest, but seeing as the unrests have mostly died down after the fall of Ben Ali it can be assumed these are economic refugees, hoping for a better life in Europe, but is Europe willing to give them a better life?
France has started border controls again to keep the immigrants out and Italy is planning on sending them straight back to Tunisia.
Since the beginning of the year almost 15,000 illegal immigrants have arrived on the island swamping the island. From Lampedusa the immigrants hope to be to be transferred to mainland Italy from which they can travel to countries such as France, Germany, Holland and the UK.
Most of the immigrants arriving in Lampedusa make the trip from Tunisia from which they are said to be fleeing due to the unrest, but seeing as the unrests have mostly died down after the fall of Ben Ali it can be assumed these are economic refugees, hoping for a better life in Europe, but is Europe willing to give them a better life?
France has started border controls again to keep the immigrants out and Italy is planning on sending them straight back to Tunisia.
101. A man who fled the unrest in Tunisia leaves the immigration centre to protest against being sent back to his country, on the southern Italian island of Lampedusa April 11, 2011. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi stepped up calls on Saturday for Europe to help deal with the human tsumani of refugees and illegal immigrants from North Africa arriving in southern Italian islands in recent weeks. REUTERS/Antonio Parrinello
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