EU foreign ministers are holding crisis talks on the uprising in Libya, amid concern about expatriates there and illegal migration from North Africa.

The violence has prompted European governments to prepare evacuation plans for their citizens in Libya.

"We are co-ordinating the possible evacuation of EU citizens," Spain's Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez said.

The EU border agency Frontex is sending immigration experts and naval support to Italy's tiny Lampedusa island.

More than 5,000 illegal migrants from Tunisia have arrived at Lampedusa by boat in the past week, putting the local reception facilities under severe strain.

Boats intercepted

The government of Col Muammar Gaddafi warned the EU last week that it would stop co-operating on illegal migration if the EU backed anti-government protesters in Libya.

In recent years, Italy and Libya have co-operated to intercept boatloads of illegal migrants in the Mediterranean. Italy has sent many of them back to Libyan detention centres - a practice condemned by human rights groups.

But Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini voiced alarm at Libya's turmoil on Monday, warning of the threat of an "Islamic Arab Emirate at the borders of Europe".The number of such boats heading for Italy from Libya has declined sharply since the controversial policy took effect.

He was speaking amid reports that anti-government protesters had taken control of the second city, Benghazi.

EU beefs up patrols

Experts from EU member states will be deployed along with aerial and naval support to assist the Italian authorities in Lampedusa, the European Commission says.

"Frontex experts will assist in debriefing and interviewing migrants. Special attention is given to identifying those who may be in need of international protection. Frontex will also give aerial and naval support for border surveillance," EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem said.Malta's Foreign Minister Tonio Borg said he was concerned about "the implications the instability [in North Africa] could have on migratory flows, and ultimately not only in Malta and Italy, but all over Europe".

Meanwhile, UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said he would urge his EU counterparts in Brussels to give "a clear signal to the Libyan government that it must act in accordance with universal norms of human rights and the rule of law, and address the legitimate grievances of the Libyan people".

"Whether and how it does this will condition its future relationship with all of the EU," he added.

On Sunday, EU foreign affairs chief Baroness Ashton voiced alarm at the Libyan authorities' harsh crackdown, saying "we condemn the repression against peaceful demonstrators and deplore the violence and the death of civilians".

She urged restraint and said "the legitimate aspirations and demands of the people for reform must be addressed through open and meaningful Libyan-led dialogue".

Lady Ashton will arrive in Egypt later on Monday, and UK Prime Minister David Cameron is already there, meeting officials who took charge after President Hosni Mubarak was forced out by massive street protests.