Italy plans help for Libyan refugees

ROME, March 2 (UPI) -- Italy is preparing to set up a refugee camp in Tunisia to prevent thousands of Libyan refugees from crossing the Mediterranean, a government official said.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said Wednesday some 60,000 refugees have fled into Tunisia and many more are waiting to cross the border from Libya, Italy's ANSA news agency reported.

Maroni called the situation "grave" and added that while Tunisia is providing aid to the refugees, the country's effort lacks organization.

"Therefore we have decided to launch a humanitarian mission to set up a refugee camp," he said.

Maroni said there are currently 1.5 million displaced persons in Libya moving east and west but who might eventually head north.

Some 5,600 illegal immigrants have already reached Lampedusa, an Italian island between Africa and Sicily, he said.