Chinese immigrants flooding into Italy


 ROME, Aug 12 (UPI) - The Italian government faced a growing public outcry
Saturday following reports that perhaps as many as hundreds of thousands of
illegal Chinese immigrants were flooding across the border from the former
Yugoslavia.

 "We are not on the verge of an invasion by Chinese immigrants," declared
Italian Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Umberto Ranieri. "There is no
'yellow peril' for Italy." Ranieri said "alarmism and speculation" were
being fomented by the political opposition.

 But the alarm was raised by Italian press reports that large numbers of
Chinese had arrived in Serbia, many of them on direct scheduled flights to
Belgrade, and were planning to cross into Italy in search of work. The
normally sober Turin paper La Stampa puts the figure at 100,000 Chinese "who
are pressing at the frontier," the paper said Saturday.

 La Repubblica quotes Italian intelligence sources as saying that there are
Chinese illegal immigrants in Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, and Slovenia, and
their final destination is either Italy, or Germany.

 Immigration is an explosive political issue in Italy. Patrolling the
country's long coastline in an attempt to intercept boatloads of  North
Africans, Albanians, Russians, or Turks has become a major challenge for the
Italian border police. Opposition parties, playing on popular fears,
routinely criticize the center-left government of Prime Minister Giuliano
Amato as soft on immigration.

 The Chinese influx is a more recent phenomenon that puzzles and worries
Italians. According to press reports, the Chinese find it easy to get visas
to Yugoslavia because relations between China and Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosovic have been warm since the China's embassy in Belgrade was
bombed in the Kosovo war. Also, the level of lawlessness in the Balkans has
made it easy for boats smuggling illegal immigrants across the Adriatic.

 Once in Yugoslavia, the Chinese try to cross into Italy overland through
Trieste, or more typically buy passage in smugglers' boats. Chinese illegal
workers in Italy work in virtual servitude in the textile and other
industries to repay their passage, which can cost them as much as $20,000.

 On Friday, police began to use a new radar tracking system on the south
east coast to detect the smuggling fleet. But police have complained to
reporters that the rules of engagement do not allow them to shoot first at
smugglers.

 La Stampa complained that only by putting aside political differences will
it be possible to address the problem effectively. Otherwise, the paper
said, "we'll get a debate that's not a debate because in reality, it will be
a dialogue of the deaf."