Egypt unrest may spawn 'illegal immigration' to UK, EU, warns NATO chief

Cairo, Feb 8 (ANI): NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has warned that the political unrest in Egypt could lead illegal immigrants from there heading for Britain and the European Union (EU).

The Daily Mail quoted Rasmussen as saying that in the midst of a situation where the economies in Egypt and the Middle East as a whole are in turmoil, more people could try to flee the region to seek refuge in European countries.

Urging European governments to maintain their defence budgets, Rasmussen said that the wave of Middle East protests did "serve as a timely reminder that we cannot take security for granted, even in our immediate neighbourhood".

According to earlier reports, Christians in Egypt, who make up about 10 percent of the population, are now living in fear over whether the political change in the near future may end up in them being persecuted in their own country.

Although some Christians were found praying and leading peaceful demonstrations in the Tahrir Square in Cairo, many fear that the man who takes over from Mubarak as the President might not be as tolerant as him.

"I don't believe Mubarak is a good man, but he's at least ten times better than the Muslim Brotherhood is. Imagine if they took control with American approval," a popular tweeter named Maged had said. (ANI)