On Monday afternoon, 102 immigrants including 30 Algerians escaped from the Elmas detention centre in Cagliari, Sardinia. According to the Italian media, the revolt started when some of the detainees refused to be transferred to a closed detention centre (CIE) whilst 40 of them were able to get out of the centre onto the adjacent runway, causing the closure of the airport for the whole day. The police came en masse to recapture the migrants. 10 were arrested and taken to prison in Cagliari and two who were injured were hospitalised.

there will be a picket of the Italian Embassy in London in solidarity with the migrants on hungers strike and with the residents of Lampedusa , in struggle against the island being turned into one huge concentration camp for immigrants. Called by No Borders London and supported by No Borders UK groups, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!, SOAS Detainee Support Group, National Coalition of Anit-Deportation Campaigns, Campaign Against Immigration Controls, No One Is Illegal.

Nearly 2000 persons were crammed in a centre that can barely contain 850, after a series of arrivals of boats from the African coast. People were locked behind gates and many were sleeping out in the rain because of overcrowding. The Interior Minister Maroni refused to move them to other structures operating in Italy, insisting they must be processed and eventually deported directly from Lampedusa, the small island south of Sicily that is the first point of arrival for many migrants, especially since increased immigration controls at the Spansh border have changed the migration routes. (updated 27 jan 2009)