The Tunisian navy was Thursday escorting back to Tunisia a group of would-be immigrants who had hijacked a fishing vessel in a bid to reach Italy, according to dpa. According to the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, a group of about 37 immigrants, made up mainly of Eritreans, Ethiopians and Somalis was heading towards Lampedusa when their dinghy developed a fault. A few hours later, a Tunisian fishing boat, which was in the vicinity, offered help but the transfer of the immigrants onto the fishing boat was interrupted when the Tunisian coast guard appeared out of the blue and instructed them to head back to Africa. The immigrants ignored the Tunisian coast guard's orders and the dinghy with some 12 individuals drifted away from the rescuing fishing boat. Shortly afterwards, an Italian navy vessel came across the dinghy and took the 12 men to Lampedusa. But the asylum seekers on the fishing boat ordered its captain to head towards the Italian coast. A coordinated operation involving Maltese and Tunisian officials eventually resolved the dispute, with the offenders transferred to the Tunisian warship Bizarte. Also Thursday, around 260 would-be immigrants reached Lampedusa illegally in a rickety fishing boat. The latest arrivals came amid reports that as many as 16 persons were feared to have drowned when two boats capsized in the Mediterranean stretch of water near Lampedusa on Wednesday.
