Italy’s resources strained under influx of North African migrants

Another 1,000 migrants fleeing Tunisia and Libya have landed on the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, adding to the more than 6,000 who’ve done the same since mid-February. With just 850 beds, the small island’s reception centre is dramatically under-equipped to service the migrants. Italy is seeking funding from the EU, the BBC reports, amid fears of much larger exodus from North African countries. Last week, Italy, Spain, France, Cyprus, Malta and Greece presented joint proposals to the EU, urging the body to share the burden of accepting migrants, and to set up a common EU asylum system by 2012.

BBC News