| 16 janvier 2008 |
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Wed 16 Jan 2008, 14:47 GMT
TRIPOLI, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Libya said on Wednesday it had started deporting illegal immigrants, most from poor African states who were trying to reach Europe.
"The authorities decided to start immediately the operation of gathering all foreigners living illegally in Libya and deporting them," the government said in a statement carried by the official news agency Jana.
Tripoli is under pressure at home to tackle the problem of illegal immigrants whom officials and locals blame for spreading insecurity and taking jobs from unemployed Libyan youths.
Italy and other European Union states want Libya to stem the flow of illegal migrants to the EU bloc.
"It was decided to start immediately the operations of gathering and deporting all illegal migrants without exception," the Libyan statement added.
Libyan officials estimate that illegal immigrants number up to two million, most of them from poor sub-Saharan states.
The government said housing authorities were instructed to destroy makeshift homes and other shelters where most illegal immigrants live and hide from police raids on the outskirts of Tripoli and other Mediterranean coastal cities.
(Writing by Lamine Ghanmi ; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
