TUNIS: A steady stream of TV images of a tiny Italian island being overrun by North Africans has stirred European fears of a new surge of illegal migration driven by anti-government uprisings in the Arab world. Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who has met with Tunisian leaders to try to fix the problem at the source, has even warned of a “human tsunami” about to hit Europe's shores. The latest wave of illegal migration from North Africa began after Tunisians ousted longtime ruler, Zein El-Abidine. Then Egyptians ousted longtime leader Hosni Mubarak and Libyans rose up against Muammar Gaddafi in a revolt that has spiraled into civil war. Zein El-Abidine had clamped down on illegal migration, in part to curry favor with the West, but the caretaker government replacing him has largely looked the other way. That encouraged jobless Tunisians to embark on the dangerous two-day trip to Lampedusa. In recent weeks, they have been cramming into small fishing vessels, paying smugglers. On Wednesday, the Italian coast guard was trying to rescue migrants whose boat had capsized near Lampedusa. Officials said they had so far saved 48 out of 200 people believed to have been on board In France — the final destination of many migrants from French-speaking former colonies in North Africa — Prime Minister Francois Fillon has called for increased surveillance of the European Union's coastlines.
