Europe's New Immigration Problem - Tunisians

Call it an unintended consequence of the uprisings in Northern Africa but the European Union is having to deal with it nonetheless. In Europe, being insensitive to the plight of immigrants who want to enter your country without assimilating is considered xenophobia. However, countries like Italy are quickly learning the difference between xenophobia and protecting your own sovereignty. It looks like migrants from Tunisia have flooded one of Italy's islands and when attempts by that country to place those migrants in other EU nation states, the doors are closed.

Oh, and according to the AFP, the European Union is 'failing' to solve Tunisia's economic problems.

Via AFP:

BRUSSELS — The European Union is failing to act fast enough to help Tunisia overcome economic hardship that has fuelled an exodus, and few states are willing to share the burden to ease the migratory flow, officials say.

Immigration is always a politically sensitive issue in Europe, but the flood of illegal migrants pouring into Italy's island of Lampedusa since Tunisia's January revolution has brought out a bunker mentality in the 27-nation European Union, officials lament.

"Right now it's 'every man for himself'... There is no spirit of cooperation," an EU official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"The atmosphere is not good," the official said.

Italy has pleaded for help from the rest of the EU to cope with the arrival of some 22,000 migrants on its shores, many of them Tunisians seeking a better future in other nations such as France, Belgium or non-EU but wealthy Switzerland.

However, Italy's EU partners have shown little enthusiasm to take in migrants.

It would appear that the need to be 'sensitive' and accepting of 'multi-culturalism' is on a collision course with reality.

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