New bid to halt 'freedom' flight
2006-03-17 12:56
Nouadhibou - Mauritania and Spain have agreed to tighten their borders to deter thousands of African migrants - but those bent on reaching Europe say they will continue to risk their lives for "freedom".
Mauritania has called for international help to stem the exodus from its northern coast, where scores of young men from across West Africa set out every night in rickety fishing boats, bound for Spain's Canary Islands almost 800km away.
A senior Spanish government delegation met with Mauritanian military chiefs late on Thursday, to discuss how to deal with a crisis the Spanish Red Cross estimates has cost more than 1 000 lives since the start of the year.
"We've agreed on a set of specific measures, including the contribution of the international community," Spanish secretary of state for foreign affairs, Bernardino Leon, said after the meeting.
"The most important thing is to avoid loss of life and to work to improve conditions in the countries people are leaving."
Yahya Ould Cheikh Mohamed Vall, governor of Mauritania's northern port of Nouadhibou, which has become a hub for migrants in recent months, told the delegation he needed immediate aid of 60m ouguiya ($230 000) a month.
Vall said the money was needed to tighten border controls, build a reception centre for detainees and fight the network of touts and middlemen who organise the migrants' voyages.
Nearly a thousand arrived since Saturday alone
He said around 1 000 sub-Saharan Africans were arriving in Nouadhibou every month, to prepare for the crossing to Europe.
More than 900 had reached the Canaries since Saturday alone.
Spain has already pledged patrol boats to help Mauritania's maritime police, who lack the resources to mount regular surveillance missions along vast tracts of desolate coastline.
Every day, scores more migrants, mostly young men from Mali and Senegal, are detained by Mauritanian police, usually after turning back at sea after getting lost or running out of food.
The going rate for a place on a wooden or fibre-glass open "pirogue" is 150 000 ouguiya - money which many have been given by family and friends.
"We just want to work, we just want to work," shouted one young man on the floor of a Nouadhibou police station as the Spanish delegation paid a sweeping visit.