Spanish Deployment in Senegal Led to a 46% Drop in Irregular Arrivals to Canary Islands

The deployment of Spain’s Security Forces and Bodies in Senegal has halted by 46 per cent of irregular arrivals to the Canary Islands in the past two months, with the interception of a total of 59 boats as well as 7,213 people on the coasts of Senegal and Gambia.

Such an announcement has been made by Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Schengen VisaInfo.com reports.

Through a statement, the Minister emphasized the importance of the CN-235 maritime surveillance aircraft deployed in Dakar since October 17th. In addition, the Minister emphasized that a Beechcraft Super King Air 350i joined the patrol duties from the Canary Islands for a period of 45 days.

Grande-Marlaska dismissed “magic solutions and shortcuts” in migration policy while stressing the importance of collaborating with countries of origin as well as transit countries to combat human trafficking.  The Minister considered the cooperation as the most effective way to halt irregular arrivals and avoid deaths at sea.

The Interior Minister’s comments came following a meeting held with the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, while accompanying her during the visit to Gran Canaria.

Spain’s Interior Minister thanked the European Commissioner for Home Affairs for the

“The enormous work and effort” were developed by the Commission so that the migration phenomenon in Europe is understood “as a challenge and not as a threat” and to move towards a common migration pact.

The border limits of Spain are also the borders of Europe, and migration must be a responsibility shared by the 27 Member States and not only by the countries of first entry.

In the meeting held at the headquarters of the Government Delegation in the Canary Islands, also participated the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo; the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory of Spain, Ángel Víctor Torres; the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz; the Secretary of State for Asylum and Migration of Belgium, Nicole de Moor; and the Government delegate in the Canary Islands, Anselmo Pestana.

According to a report from AP, a total of 32,029 people reached the Canary Islands for a period from January 1 until November 5, surpassing the figures recorded during the migration crisis in 2006, during which period 31,678 migrants were recorded. The same source revealed that the majority of the arrivals came from Senegal.