Gheddafi speaks in Senate

(ANSA) - Rome, June 11
Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi spoke in the Italian Senate Thursday in his first keynote address on an historic visit to cement stronger ties between the North African country and its former colonial ruler. Gaddafi did not address the chamber of the Senate because of protests led by opposition Senators, but spoke in an adjacent hall. However, only one opposition party, Italy of Values, boycotted the address. The Libyan leader devoted much of his speech to immigration, a hot topic since Libya agreed to take back migrants rescued by Italy at sea under the terms of a $5 million deal on colonial reparations.

Addressing humanitarian critics of the controversial new policy, he said: ''Let the Italian government stop defending you from immigration, let millions of people in, and then you'll need a dictator to protect you''. Human rights organisations have criticised Libya for not providing adequate facilities to process pleas from asylum seekers fleeing conflicts in Africa. But Gaddafi countered: ''Leave it up to the human rights organisations to find a job, medical treatment and the other needs of the immigrants that could swamp your country''. He also said that Libya needs much more money from the European Union to help curb immigration from Africa. ''Many billions of euros are needed to stem the flows of immigrants into the Mediterranean,'' Gaddafi told the Senators. He described the one billion euros the EU currently gives Libya to contain immigration as ''insufficient''. Echoing Italian officials, Gaddafi said the two countries ''could not tackle this problem alone''. He said the EU should do more because ''the problem concerns the whole of Europe''. Gaddafi said immigration should be given greater attention by all international bodies including the United Nations and the African Union of which Libya is currently president.