African immigrants enter Italy
24/10/2006 14:40  - (SA)  

Spain repatriates 4 000 illegals Spain repatriates 4 000 illegals Spain cancels migrants' flights Spain cancels migrants' flights Spain sends illegals back home Spain sends illegals back home Senegal told enough immigrants Senegal told enough immigrants Migrants told to ditch ID papers Migrants told to ditch ID papers

Madrid - At least 1 000 illegal Senegalese immigrants who gained entry to the Spanish mainland via the Canary Islands have recently reached Italy by train with the aid of people traffickers, say reports.

They said: "More than 1 000 sub-Saharans who arrived in the Canaries in 'cayucos' (small boats) made it to Italy through a trafficking network of Senegalese resident in different European countries."

The paper said the network helped immigrants reach the northern Italian city of Milan by night train from the northeastern Spanish city of Barcelona.

The reports said: "Since last week, the Spanish interior ministry has put in place police to monitor access to the Barcelona train", adding that two weeks ago, the Italian police sent 54 Senegalese who had no papers back to Spain.

Earlier this month, Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Spanish counterpart Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero emphasised the need for a common European Union immigration policy.

As the EU's exposed southern flank, Spain and Italy were most vulnerable to the influx of African migrants, some 27 000 of whom reached the Canaries over the summer, adding to a further 16 000 who made it to the Sicilian coast off southern Italy.

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