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 tour of three West African countries: Mauritania, Gambia, and Senegal, as the Southwestern European nation struggled to cope with a wave of migration.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. (Source: Reuters)

Reuters reports 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 coast of Africa, the Canary Islands (a group of seven islands in the Atlantic Ocean) and Spain tend to be a stopover point for West African migrants heading to France and other European countries.

The head of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, warned that the archipelago is on the verge of "collapse," predicting that the number of migrants could reach 50,000 this year.

Prior to the trip, on August 22, Prime Minister Sanchez met with the head of the Canary Islands, Clavijo. Mr. Clavijo urged the European Union (EU) to do more "so that the Canary Islands do not have to bear the entire burden of Europe's migration pressure alone."

Besides the Canary Islands, the Spanish regions of Ceuta and Melilla are also considered migration hotspots on the EU's southern border. These two areas have also seen a sharp increase in migration in recent weeks.

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

Meanwhile, across Spain, the number stands at 31,155, a 66.2% increase from 18,745 during the same period last year. It is predicted that the number of migrants from West Africa to Spain will continue to rise in the fall as weather conditions become more favorable for transatlantic travel.

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