Senior police officials from several European countries are meeting in Rome today to prepare a strategy aimed at preventing an influx of Kurdish refugees seeking asylum in the West. Italy requested the meeting after more than 1,000 illegal immigrants, most of them Kurds from Turkey, arrived on its shores last week amid reports that thousands more were preparing to follow. Countries which have indicated they will take part, besides Italy, are Germany, France, Greece, the Netherlands and Turkey. Italian news agencies said Belgium and Austria would also participate.
Italy's junior Foreign Minister, Mr Piero Fassino, said the meeting had two objectives; one is to seek a commitment from Greece and Turkey to fight trafficking in illegal immigrants. He said police officials would also try to map out a common strategy to stem the problem.
"We hope Greece and Turkey will respond to European concerns by boosting border controls," he told the left-wing Unita newspaper.
The Italian Prime Minister, Mr Romano Prodi, said on Sunday Italy would greet Kurdish refugees with "open arms" while the President, Mr Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, said Italy would welcome people who are persecuted.
Their statements were met with concern by neighbouring countries, particularly Germany and the Netherlands, which fear a massive spill-over of Kurdish refugees into their territory. Border controls between these states and Italy have been abolished under the Schengen accord.
In recent days, Turkey has launched a vast operation aimed at halting the massive flight of Kurds heading West. Ankara has been criticised for its treatment of the country's Kurds and its handling of the 13-year separatist war between Kurdish rebels and the army. The Turkish authorities say the migration is because of economics and not due to any alleged persecution of Kurds in the south-east of the country.
Germany yesterday demanded a "watertight" enforcement of the Schengen border pact. It believes many of the Kurds who have arrived in Italy are headed for its territory, where about 500,000 already live.
The German Foreign Minister, Mr Klaus Kinkel, said membership of the Schengen pact "is not a free ride".
The Italian situation has angered Germany because Rome gives refugees who do not seek political asylum 15 days to leave, which allows them time to head elsewhere in Europe.
EU countries say Turkey must tighten controls along its coast and harbours if it is serious in its commitment to help.
Turkey has freed scores of Iraqi Kurds arrested trying to enter Greece illegally, despite a government promise to seal Turkish borders. Courts often release migrants attempting to leave the country illegally because punishment is so light as not to merit prosecution.
Fines have reached token levels due to Turkey's annual inflation of almost 100 per cent.