…..as boatloads of Tunisians arrive on an Italian island.
From the UK Press Association:
Italy has warned it faces a humanitarian crisis with some 1,600 refugees from Tunisia arriving in its waters over the past two weeks following unrest there.
Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said he has asked the EU to take up the matter at its next meeting, as the political crises in Tunisia and Egypt are affecting Europe’s internal security.
Mr Maroni has said he fears Tunisian terrorists are among those who escaped Tunisian prisons and fled during a month of nationwide anti-government protests that forced dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee on January 14.
“There is the risk of a real and true humanitarian emergency,” Mr Maroni said.
The UN refugee agency said that since January 16, some 1,600 Tunisians had arrived in Italy, mostly on the island of Lampedusa – closer to Africa than the Italian mainland. Half of them arrived in recent days.
If you think this doesn’t affect you in the US, think again! We have already set a precedent of taking illegal aliens that have arrived in recent years on Malta to the US as “refugees.” The Bush Administration began the practice and the Obama Administration continues. I’ve written dozens of posts on the subject, most recently here. Be sure to follow the links back to more on Ambassador Kmiec (a Republican for Obama!).