TRIPOLI, Aug 22 (AFP) - Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is to visit Tripoli on Wednesday, officials here said, although they declined to confirm Italian press reports that he would meet Moamer Kadhafi to seek Libya's help in stemming the flow of illegal immigrants to Europe.
The Libyan officials said Berlusconi's visit would be a lightning one, lasting just a few hours.
The Italian premier is concerned that Libya does not have enough ships to prevent a wave of immigrants reaching the south of Italy and its Mediterranean islands, the Turin daily La Stampa reported Thursday.
He also worries that Libya lacks the political will to deal with the problem, the paper said.
More than 100 undocumented asylum seekers claiming to be Palestinians landed on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa on Friday night, the latest in a mounting flood of migrants to reach its shores.
The 114 men were immediately interned in a reception centre for questioning about their identity and nationality, port officials said.