Scabies alarm among migrants camped on Ventimiglia rocks

(ANSA) - Ventimiglia, June 17 - Some 17 migrants among about 100 people camped out on rocks by the sea near the French-Italian border left the makeshift camp Wednesday with suspected scabies, the Red Cross said.
    The 17 left the rocks near the San Ludovico bridge voluntarily and were invited by the Red Cross to go to a clinic set up at Ventimiglia railway station to be examined, the Red Cross said.
    The group of 100 have been camped at the rocks for five days demanding to be allowed into France, spending the nights under tents and beach umnbrellas.
    Italian police stepped up controls on paths leading from the St Louis bridge, where the frontier post is, to the San Ludovico bridge, so as to prevent other migrants sent back to Italy by France from joining the group of demonstrators on the rocks, police sources said.
    French police also increased surveillance on the French side of the border, stopping all trains coming in from Italy at the Menton-Garlaven station and checking documents of passengers, police sources said.
    French police sources said that an acoustic listening detector has been set up on the railway line that passes the frontier at the San Ludovico point so as to prevent migrants walking into France along the railway line.