Italian authorities arrest 17 Algerian illegal immigrants in Lampedusa
Italian coast guards stopped a boat carrying 17 Algerian illegal immigrants on about half a mile offshore from the island Lampedusa in Sicilia, south of Italy.
- Media sources said that fishermen informed Italian authorities about the arrival of illegal immigrants on board of a rubber boat in the Italian waters, thus services of coast guards rushed to the beach where they found Algerian illegal immigrants, who were put in temporary detention.
- According to the same sources, Italian coast guards also arrested ten illegal immigrants including a woman and child, now in detention, while their nationality is not yet determined.
- Previously, the Italian Interior Minister Roberto Marroni in a move to curb illegal immigration and eradicate the phenomenon by the end of this year ordered the Italian security forces to hunt down the illegal immigrants who came from the Northern African countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan and carry out operations in their strongholds.
- The Italian authorities have sealed off several houses and shelters in Napoli, Calabria, Lampedusa and Milan so far. They have also arrested numerous Italian citizens accused of giving assistance to the illegal immigrants.
- The have also deployed all means to deport them to their home countries like the 144 Algerians and 61 other illegal immigrants from Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt. The Italia authorities have revealed that they have expatriated 103 illegal immigrants from North Africa.
- Sources from Milan have revealed that the security forces have arrested 6 drug dealers among the illegal immigrants including two Moroccans aged 20 and 43 years old. They have also busted 1à others leaving illegally on the Italian soil.