BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s prime minister began a three-day tour of West Africa on Tuesday as the European country struggles to control the number of people making the perilous Atlantic crossing to the Pacific by boat. Canary Islands.
More than 22,000 people have landed on the Spanish archipelago, which lies close to the African coast and is used as a stopover for migrants and refugees trying to reach continental Europe, since January, according to Spain’s Interior Ministry. This is more than double the number of irregular arrivals in the same period last year.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez begins his visit to Mauritania before continuing south to Gambia and Senegal. The three coastal states have become major departure points for smugglers to launch overcrowded boats. Thousands of Malian refugees fleeing violence and instability are among those taking the perilous Atlantic route to the Canary Islands, as are unemployed young people from SenegalMauritania and other West African countries looking for better job opportunities abroad.
There are also more and more teenagers and children travel to the Canary Islands alone, overwhelming the local government responsible for their care. Spanish authorities say they are bracing for even more arrivals this fall, when sailing conditions in the deadly Atlantic Ocean between West Africa and the Spanish archipelago are more favorable.
To tackle the problem, Sánchez is expected to sign several bilateral agreements with his African counterparts and strengthen cooperation between Spanish and local security forces to combat human trafficking. Spain will also expand its circular migration program, which allows migrants to come to Spain temporarily to work in sectors such as agriculture. To tackle the root causes of migration, the Spanish government said it would also announce long-term investments and business partnerships in the areas of development, connectivity and education.
It is the second time the Spanish leader has visited Mauritania this year. In February, Sánchez travelled to the largely deserted and impoverished country with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, announcing 210 million euros (about $235 million) to help the country stem migration. Mauritania is seen as a beacon of stability in the volatile Sahel region and hosts about 200,000 Malian refugees on its border.
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