#Italy has placed soldiers on alert and asked Brussels for millions in aid to cope with an unexpected influx of thousands of Tunisian refugees on Lampedusa. ++LM REIN++ The Mediterranean island is 130 kilometers off the Tunisian coast, and can easily be reached by small craft in good weather. In just the past week - more than 5,000 refugees from Tunisia landed there. ++LM RAUS++ Despite the ousting of Tunisian strongman Zinedine Ben Ali, the situation for many remains bleak. Official youth unemployment is 30 percent. Food prices are rising sharply and tourism collapsed following the peaceful uprising there.