As a desperate power struggle unfolds in Libya, its neighbors fear hundreds of thousands may flee across the Mediterranean to seek asylum in Italy, Cyprus, France, Greece, Malta and Spain. Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the region should brace for a “biblical exodus” because one-third of Libya’s population—2.5 million people—are recent immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa who are now caught in a society reduced to bitter tribal rivalries. Dangerously exposed, they may choose to flee north rather than return to their home countries. Many Mediterranean ports of call may see a heavy influx of refugees in the near term, straining social services and perhaps requiring the United Nations to help create camps and processing centers.