SPAIN/MAURITANIA: Spanish hospital ship recovers bodies of 18 migrants from sea off Mauritania as Spain acts to stem surge in migrants from Mauritania trying to reach the Canary Islands

Record ID: 348698

  • Title: SPAIN/MAURITANIA: Spanish hospital ship recovers bodies of 18 migrants from sea off Mauritania as Spain acts to stem surge in migrants from Mauritania trying to reach the Canary Islands
  • Date: 16th March 2006
  • Summary: AHMEDOU TALKING WITH MIGRANTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) AHMEDOU OULD, HEAD OF THE RED CROSS MISSION IN AHMEDOU, SAYING: "We are trying to make them understand that they are desperate, they have only one goal, going to Europe whatever the price and their is no higher price than your life. They are ready to give their lives to reach Europe, it's all or nothing I make it or I die.
  • Embargoed: 31st March 2006 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA9FCSPFR5ELWGVXIF5RGSJQVVA
  • Story Text: A Spanish hospital ship recovered the bodies of 18 migrants from the sea off Mauritania on Wednesday (March 15) as Spain acted to stem a surge in migrants from the West African country trying to reach the Canary Islands.
    Mauritania has become the latest staging post for migrants fleeing poverty in Africa, partly because of a crackdown on traditional illegal immigration routes from Morocco, according to Spanish government sources.
    Scores of mostly young men set out in fishing boats every night hoping to reach Spain's Canary Islands and a way into prosperous Europe. Many die in the attempt.
    The Spanish hospital ship Esperanza del Mar (Hope of the Sea) went to recover the bodies on Wednesday after the crew of a fishing boat spotted them, a government spokesman in the Canary Islands said.
    The hospital ship continued to search the area, in Mauritanian waters about 400 nautical miles (740 kms) south of the Canary Islands, in case there were more bodies, he said.
    After a crisis meeting on Wednesday, the Spanish government said it would try to halt the exodus by beefing up sea patrols and supporting Mauritania's armed forces.
    Spain will also set up more reception centres, run by non-governmental organisations, though it did not say where.
    In Brussels, the European Commission said it would join Spain in a mission to Mauritania on Thursday to discuss how to stem the flood.
    Secretaries of State Bernardino Leon for foreign affairs and Antonio Camacho for security would lead the delegation, along with a representative of the Canary Islands government, the Spanish government said.
    The hastily-arranged Spanish ministerial meeting was called after the islands' government demanded greater help from Madrid and the European Union on Tuesday, following a wave of landings in recent days, most of them from Mauritania.
    About 330 immigrants arrived on Tuesday, the most recorded on a single day, taking the total to around 800 since Saturday, a regional government spokesman said.
    Two more boats arrived in the Canaries early on Wednesday with more than 100 people on board.
    Spain said it would provide Mauritania with patrol vessels to stop the boats, which usually carry about 50 migrants.
    It will also step up coastal patrols around the Canary Islands and help swamped local authorities by letting them use Defence Ministry properties to house migrants.
    Spain is also studying whether to re-activate an agreement for Mauritania to take back illegal migrants.
    The Red Cross estimated this month that more than 1,000 African migrants had died so far this year trying to break into "Fortress Europe" by ever longer sea routes -- 10 times the official death toll off the Canary Islands since December.
    "We are trying to make them understand that they are desperate, they have only one goal, going to Europe whatever the price and their is no higher price than your life," Red Cross spokesperson Ahmedou Ould said.
    The focus of illegal immigration to Spain has switched to Mauritania after Spain and Morocco tightened controls around Spain's North African enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, where at least 11 migrants were killed late last year when thousands of desperate migrants tried to storm border fences.
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