ITALY: GROWING CONCERN ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

UNCLAS ROME 003244 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SMIG PREL MOPS LY IT EUN SUBJECT: ITALY: GROWING CONCERN ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM LIBYA REF: ROME 3069 ¶1. (SBU) FOLLOWING A REPORT BY LIBYAN TV THAT LIBYAN AND UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 ROME 03244 030828Z ITALIAN NAVAL UNITS WERE PERFORMING JOINT EXERCISES IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA IN EARLY JUNE, POLMIL OFF MET JUNE 18 WITH ANTONIO BELLAVIA, THE MFAS DESK OFFICER FOR LIBYA AND THE MAGHREB. BELLAVIA EXPLAINED THAT THESE EXERCISES WERE NOT MILITARY IN NATURE, BUT WERE DESIGNED TO COMBAT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM LIBYA TO ITALY. ACCORDING TO BELLAVIA, THE GOL DOES NOT REQUIRE ENTRY VISAS FROM PEOPLE FROM SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. AS A RESULT, LIBYA, A COUNTRY OF 6 MILLION PEOPLE, NOW HAS 1.5 MILLION IMMIGRANTS IN ITS TERRITORY (MAINLY FROM SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AND THE MAGHREB COUNTRIES). THIS HAS CREATED A SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR ITALY AS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM LIBYA USE ITALY AS THEIR ENTRY INTO THE EU. GIVEN THAT LIBYA HAS LONG COASTS AND LITTLE CONTROL OVER THEM, EXPLAINED BELLAVIA, ITALIAN NAVAL UNITS ARE HELPING LIBYAN NAVAL UNITS COMBAT THE PROBLEM OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO AS LONG AS THIS PROBLEM PERSISTS. ¶2. (SBU) COMMENT: ITALYS CONCERNS ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION ARE SURFACING WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY, BOTH IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WAR AGAINST TERRORISM (REF) AND AS A RESULT OF DOMESTIC POLITICAL CONCERNS. END COMMENT. SEMBLER R UNCLASSIFIED > 2002ROME03244 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED