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Migrants not welcome in Spain
20/02/2007 21:01 - (SA)
Madrid - Spain reaffirmed on Tuesday that it would not take in any of the roughly 300 Asian and African migrants found on board a distressed fishing trawler that was towed to Mauritania earlier this month.
Bernardino Leon, Spain's secretary of state for foreign affairs, said the migrants "can not come to Spain" and their countries of origin should make an effort to bring them home.
The identification process of the migrants, who have lived at a shelter in the Mauritanian port of Nouadhibou since they disembarked there on February 12, has been complicated by their refusal to provide their documents, he told radio Onde Cero.
Most of the migrants on board the Marine 1, which was rescued on February 4 by the Spanish navy after it sent out a distress signal, are thought to be from India.
It was believed to be heading to Spain's Canary Islands - which saw more than 30 000 illegal immigrants arrive on its shores last year - when it developed engine problems.
At least 35 of the 380 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have already been sent to an unidentified African country. Spanish media reported the country is Cape Verde.
Another 35 Asians from Burma, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan were evacuated by plane to Spain from where they are expected to be repatriated.
Migrants usually hide their identities and nationalities in the hope of claiming refugee status.
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