Amid the migration problem at the "EU gateway", Spanish Prime Minister visits 3 West African countries

On August 27, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez began a trip to three West African countries, Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal, as the southwestern European country struggles to cope with a wave of migration.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. (Source: Reuters)

Reuters news agency reported that almost every day, the Spanish Coast Guard rescues a boat carrying dozens of migrants from Africa to the Canary Islands.

Located just 100 km from the nearest northwestern African coast, the Canary Islands (seven islands in the Atlantic Ocean) and Spain tend to be the stopping points for West African migrants heading to France and other European countries.

Canary Islands chief Fernando Clavijo has warned the archipelago is on the brink of “collapse” with the number of migrants predicted to reach 50,000 this year.

Ahead of the trip, on August 22, Prime Minister Sanchez met with the head of the Canary region, Clavijo. Mr. Clavijo called on the European Union (EU) to do more "so that the Canary Islands do not have to 'single-handedly' bear the entire migration pressure of Europe."

In addition to the Canary Islands, Spain’s Ceuta and Melilla are also considered migration hotspots on the EU’s southern border. These two regions have also seen a sharp increase in migrant arrivals in recent weeks.

According to the Spanish Interior Ministry , since the beginning of the year, 22,304 migrants from West Africa have arrived in the Canary Islands, an increase of 126% compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, across Spain, the figure was 31,155, up 66.2% from 18,745 in the same period last year. The number of migrants from West Africa arriving in the country is expected to continue to increase in the fall when weather conditions are more favorable for traveling across the Atlantic.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/giua-van-nan-di-cu-o-cua-ngo-eu-thu-tuong-tay-ban-nha-cong-du-3-nuoc-tay-phi-284059.html