AFP – April 27, 2011
French police arrested 60 mostly Tunisian immigrants in Paris accusing them of entering the country illegally, as France pushes to tighten the EU’s open-border rules. A Paris police source said the suspects, who included some Egyptians, Libyans and Algerians, were in custody after being arrested in Paris and Pantin, a suburb of the capital, for “breaking the residency laws”.
The turbulence in the Arab world has driven a wave of migrants to seek refuge in Europe, with thousands landing in Italy in recent weeks. Many French-speaking Tunisians hope to reach France which has close ties to its former colony.
France has taken a tough line on the spillover, however, voicing annoyance with Italy for issuing temporary residency permits to migrants that enable them to travel on to France under the EU’s open-borders pact.
