Spain plans to stop immigrants

2006-05-18 20:11

Puerto De Los Cristianos - With the Canary Islands struggling to cope with a stream of would-be immigrants from Africa, the Spanish government has launched a diplomatic offensive to bring the situation under control.

On Thursday, foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said a special ambassador and a team of diplomats would begin "three to six-month" missions in Africa from Sunday.

He said the diplomats would operate in Senegal, Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea and Niger.

Almost 7 000 people have survived the maritime odyssey to reach the Canaries in makeshift vessels so far this year.

Moratinos, speaking a day after Madrid called on African governments to help stem the number of arrivals, said the diplomats would "work jointly with the countries to face up to the migratory flux".

Thursday saw dozens of more arrivals, with 57 immigrants picked up at Los Cristianos port in southern Tenerife.

The immigrant hopefuls added to the 278 who landed on the island in "cayucos", makeshift boats from Senegal and Mauritania, on Wednesday.

6 785 illegal immigrants have arrived so far

Moratinos said the Spanish cabinet would approve the "immediate" sending of an ambassador to Mali on Friday.

Malians make up a large proportion of the immigrants coming to Spain.

He said: "Spain will set up a bureau for the centralisation of all efforts (to deal with the immigrant issue) in sub-Saharan capitals."

Spanish secretary of state for foreign affairs, Bernardino Leon, will tour west African states from May 29 to June 2.

According to official Spanish statistics 6 785 illegal immigrants have arrived in the Canaries so far this year - compared to 4 751 last year and 8 519 in 2004.

Illegal immigrants from Mali, Senegal and Mauritania make up the bulk of the 1 400 people currently crammed into makeshift accommodation on the Canary Islands.

- AFP