Sicily Police Arrest Recidivist Terrorist Arriving in Italy on Migrant Boat

The Sicilian police arrested a Tunisian national, who appeared to have been convicted over terrorism charges, as he arrived in Italy on a migrant boat from Libya, media reported Sunday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Ben Nasr Mehdi was first arrested in Italy in November 2007, and sentenced to seven years in prison for planning terrorist attacks for an ISIL-related group, The Independent reported.

As soon as the man was released from prison, he was extradited from Italy, but in October, he arrived to the Italian shore in a migrant boat, together with some 200 asylum seekers, according to the newspaper.

Mehdi asked for asylum in Northern Europe under a false name, and while the asylum appeal was being processed, the fingerprints revealed his identity and allowed the police to arrest him, the newspaper said.

Currently, Europe is trying to cope with tens of thousands of undocumented asylum seekers from conflict-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa who are fleeing to Europe to escape poverty and violence at home.

Some EU states, including Germany and Hungary, have already expressed concerns that terrorists might penetrate the EU borders among migrants.