At the last stop, Senegal, the President of the Government of Spain has considered the return of migrants who enter the country irregularly to be “essential”.
The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, concludes the tour of three African countries: Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal which started last Tuesday. During the tour, Sánchez has opted for increase legal avenues for migrationn, in what is known as circular migration, but also the returns of migrants.
According to Sara Prestianni, from Euromed Rights, one of the causes behind the increase in arrivals to the Canary Islands is los recent agreements signed by the European Commission with several Mediterranean countries. For example, Tunisia, where the number of people starting their trip would have been reduced.
“For political reasons, there is a commitment, both from the Libyan militia and the Tunisian government, to intercept and return migrants violating human rights,” explains Prestianni. “If we look at the Mediterranean region as a whole, we can see how the increase in the Canary Islands also means an increase in interception at other entry points in Europe,” he says.
To stop the crisis of arrivals, one of Sánchez’s bets is to promote what is known as circular migration, that is, hire foreign workers in their home countrieswhere they will later return.
Morocco and Senegal already have a similar agreement with Spain, which is now extended to Gambia and Mauritania. NGOs value the positive message about migration that Sánchez has givenalthough they warn of the risks. “When we talk about circular migration or legal routes, it is mainly related to seasonal workers. Seasonal workers that we know clearly when we think of Huelva, but also in Puglia or Calabria in southern Europe, and they often mean exploitation,” he points out. Prestianni.
A dangerous route
The Canary Islands route is the one that has increased the most in these first months of 2024 in southern Europe, with 154% more arrivals, according to Frontex data. It is also considered very dangerous. The journey from Gambia or Senegal can take several days and is subject to strong Atlantic currents.
The arrival of cayucos has caused a crisis in the Canary Islandsfinding a solution was one of Sánchez’s objectives. On the table, for example, a system to distribute migrant minors throughout the different Spanish communities, something similar to the European solidarity system. “All the autonomous communities of Spain They should build a system of solidarity to the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, which support the management of migratory flows, especially when it comes to unaccompanied minors,” explains the S&D Canarian MEP, Juan Fernando López Aguilar.
For now a visit is not expected of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to the Canary Islands as she already did with the Italian island of Lampedusa. Although her team acknowledges that it is not ruled out.
