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As Desperation Mounts, More Migrants Cast Their Lot on a Troubled Sea
Desperation Fuels Trips Of Migrants To Spain
(about 4 hours later)
TARIFA, Spain — The distance between this town at the southern tip of Spain and the coast of Morocco is barely nine miles, so tantalizingly close that African migrants trying to reach Europe can see the continent from the Moroccan shoreline. To actually reach Europe is not so simple, yet they come, anyway.
TARIFA, Spain — The southern tip of Spain is barely nine miles from the coast of Morocco, a distance so tantalizingly close that African migrants trying to reach Europe can see the continent from the Moroccan shoreline.
For months now, a period that has seen rising numbers of migrants daring the waters of the Mediterranean, the Spanish police and boat captains say many asylum seekers have become so desperate that they are trying to reach Europe on flimsy rubber dinghies. So many migrants are now traveling by dinghies that the price for a modest one can reach 500 euros in Morocco, compared with only 80 euros in Spain.
To actually reach Europe is not so simple, yet they come anyway.
“Some people will clearly risk death to reach Europe,” said Israel Diaz Aragon, who captains one of the boats of Spain’s maritime rescue services. “It has been a very busy summer, because we’re now also rescuing Africans who not only cross in a toy boat but haven’t even spent money on buying proper oars.”
For months now, there has been a rising number of migrants daring the waters of the Mediterranean. And the Spanish police and boat captains say many asylum seekers have become so desperate that they are trying to reach Europe on flimsy rubber dinghies. So many migrants are now traveling by dinghies that the price for a modest one can reach $680 in Morocco, compared with only $109 in Spain.
The danger of migration in the Mediterranean became grimly evident again on Thursday when a boat of African migrants capsized near the Italian island of Lampedusa. At least 111 people died, including at least 49 women and children, and more than 200 people are still believed missing.
“Some people will clearly risk death to reach Europe,” said Israel Díaz Aragón, who captains one of the boats of Spain’s maritime rescue services. “It has been a very busy summer, because we’re now also rescuing Africans who not only cross in a toy boat but haven’t even spent money on buying proper oars.”
Officials with Italy’s Coast Guard say at least 100 bodies remain trapped in the hull of the sunken ship, but divers on Friday were forced to suspend their search efforts because of rough sea conditions around Lampedusa.
The danger of migration in the Mediterranean became evident again on Thursday when a boat of African migrants capsized near the Italian island of Lampedusa. At least 111 people died and more than 200 people are still believed missing.
The shipwreck has revived calls for the European Union to finally create a common, humane response to the flow of migrants, and also improve cooperation with the countries where the migrants originate in Africa and the Middle East. But the difficulty of completely curtailing this human exodus is evident in Spain, which in recent years has worked closely with Morocco to stop illegal immigration.
The shipwreck revived calls for the European Union to create a common, humane response to the flow of migrants, and also improve cooperation with the countries where the migrants originate in Africa and the Middle East. But the difficulty of completely curtailing this exodus is evident in Spain, which in recent years has worked with Morocco to stop illegal immigration.
The dinghies illustrate the risks migrants are willing to take. For many years, the main landing point in Spain was the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, located off the southwestern coast of Morocco. Criminal networks used powerful boats to smuggle people across.
The dinghies illustrate the risks migrants are willing to take. For many years, the main landing point in Spain was the Canary Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, off the southwestern coast of Morocco. Criminal networks used powerful boats to smuggle people across.
But then Spain sharply increased patrols in the waters off Western Africa, cutting off the route to the Canary Islands, while also installing a network of thermal infrared cameras along its entire shoreline, making it almost impossible for larger vessels to go undetected as they cross the Strait of Gibraltar toward Tarifa and nearby beaches.
But then Spain sharply increased patrols in the waters off western Africa, cutting off the route to the islands, while also installing a network of thermal infrared cameras along its entire shoreline, making it almost impossible for larger vessels to go undetected.
The impact was immediate: In 2006, a record 39,180 people reached Spain illegally by boat, including 31,678 who landed in the Canary Islands, according to Spain’s interior ministry. Last year, the total was 3,804, including only 173 in the Canary Islands, the lowest number in 15 years.
The impact was immediate: In 2006, a record 39,180 people reached Spain illegally by boat. Last year, the total was 3,804. Now, though, traffic is increasing across the Strait of Gibraltar, even as the voyage has become more dangerous as many migrants use dinghies to elude cameras. Spanish officials estimate that four-fifths of illegal immigrants who have crossed the strait this year have used dinghies — as opposed to large trawlers.
Now, though, traffic is increasing across the Strait, even as the passage has become more dangerous as many migrants used tiny boats to elude the network of infrared cameras. Spanish officials estimate that roughly four-fifths of illegal immigrants who have crossed the Strait this year have used “toy” dinghies — as opposed to the large trawlers that carrying hundreds of migrants toward Italy.
Italy has seen an especially large increase of migrants this year, more than 24,000 so far, including thousands traveling from war-torn Syria. On Friday, Italy recognized the Lampedusa tragedy with a national day of mourning. And Italian officials repeated their demands that Europe take greater responsibility for the waves of migrants reaching Italian shores.
Last month, Spanish authorities search in vain for 12 of the 42 passengers believed to have been on board a boat that capsized in the Strait. Such smaller accidents are common in the Mediterranean, if rarely attracting much public notice or media attention.
“Today, we have a new Checkpoint Charlie,” said Italy’s interior minister, Angelino Alfano, speaking in Parliament on Friday, and referring to the crossing between East and West Berlin during the cold war. “Its name is Lampedusa.”
Italy has seen an especially large increase of migrants this year, more than 24,000 so far, including thousands traveling from war-torn Syria. On Friday, Italy recognized the Lampedusa tragedy with a national day of mourning over the accident, while schools observed a minute of silence. Italian television showed footage from of a ferry delivering hearses and coffins from the mainland to Lampedusa.
The numbers in Spain are far lower but increasing after several years of decline. The Spanish military police say more than 900 people have been intercepted in the strait this year.
Meanwhile, Italian officials repeated their demands that Europe as a whole take greater responsibility for the waves of migrants reaching Italian shores.
“Today, we have a new Checkpoint Charlie,” said Italy’s interior minister, Angelino Alfano, speaking in the lower house of Parliament on Friday, and referring to the crossing between East and West Berlin during the cold war. “Its name is Lampedusa. It’s the crossing between the south and the north of the world.”
The numbers in Spain, as yet, are far lower but once more increasing, after several years of decline. The Spanish military police say more than 900 people have been intercepted in the strait this year, ahead of last year’s pace.
In Morocco, where the ruling monarchy has been relatively unscathed by the Arab Spring, officials have increased cooperation with Spain and are intercepting many boats before they can even reach Spanish waters.
In Morocco, where the ruling monarchy has been relatively unscathed by the Arab Spring, officials have increased cooperation with Spain and are intercepting many boats before they can even reach Spanish waters.
Doing this, though, has also involved a clampdown by the Moroccan police against sub-Saharan migrants who have flocked to the country’s northern cities closest to Spain, according to some human rights advocates.
Doing this, though, has also involved a clampdown by the Moroccan police against sub-Saharan migrants who have flocked to the country’s northern cities closest to Spain, according to some human rights advocates.
“Since late July, the Moroccan authorities have basically been cleaning out illegal migrants from the north,” said Helena Maleno, a specialist in international migration who lives in the Moroccan port city of Tangier and also works for Caminando Fronteras, or Walking Borders, an association that helps migrants. “This repression has made migrants feel desperate to get out and even willing to jump in the water without a proper boat, rather than head south again.”
“Since late July, the Moroccan authorities have basically been cleaning out illegal migrants from the north,” said Helena Maleno, who works for Caminando Fronteras an association that helps migrants. “This repression has made migrants feel desperate to get out and even willing to jump in the water without a proper boat.”
Ms. Maleno estimated that 90 percent of the illegal crossings this summer to mainland Spain, as well as to Ceuta and Melilla — two Spanish enclaves in northern Morocco — had been by sub-Saharan migrants who got stuck in Morocco without enough money “to either move backward or forward.”
Recently, the Spanish police in Ceuta and Melilla — two Spanish enclaves in northern Morocco — have also struggled to contain migrants trying to break through border fences. Last month, about 100 people entered Melilla after tearing down fencing and charging past the police, leaving six officers injured.
Recently, the Spanish police in Ceuta and Melilla have also struggled to contain migrants trying to break through the border fences that surround the enclaves. Last month, about 100 people entered Melilla after tearing down part of the 19-foot high fencing and charging past the police, leaving six officers injured.
In Thursday’s accident near Lampedusa, most of the migrants came from Eritrea and Somalia, according to Italian and United Nations officials. Those who travel by boat to Spain, however, normally are from western Africa.
In Thursday’s accident near Lampedusa, most of the migrants came from Eritrea and Somalia, according to Italian and United Nations officials. Those who travel by boat to Spain, however, normally are from Western Africa, even if it can be hard to confirm exactly from where.
“Almost everybody now claims to come from Mali, because there’s been a war there and that makes them confident nobody can send them back,” said Manuel Ovidio, a captain in Spain’s military police.
“Almost everybody now claims to come from Mali, because there’s been a war there and that makes them confident nobody can send them back,” said Manuel Ovidio, a captain in Spain’s military police, who coordinates surveillance along the country’s southern coast.
Interviewed in a Spanish police cell after being rescued at sea, Amadou Makalou showed the blisters on his hands from paddling. He said he had left Bamako, Mali, then crossed Mauritania before a month in Tangier, in Morocco. There, he pooled money with six other Malians to buy a dinghy.
Interviewed in a Spanish police cell shortly after being rescued at sea, Amadou Makalou showed the blisters on his hands after hours of paddling across the strait. He said he had left Bamako, the Malian capital, and then crossed Mauritania before spending a month in Tangier, in Morocco. There, he pooled money with six other Malians to buy a dinghy.
They hid for hours in a forest before setting into the sea from a nearby beach at about 1 a.m. Mr. Makalou, 34, said his family had remained in Bamako. Asked whether he knew about Spain’s unemployment rate, Mr. Makalou laughed.
They hid for hours in a forest before setting into the sea about 1 a.m. from a nearby beach. “A terrible and frightening day has reached a happy end,” he said.
Mr. Makalou, 34, said his wife and two children had remained in Bamako, in the care of his mother. He said that Mali’s recent war might be officially over, but that life remained incredibly difficult. Asked whether he knew Spain had one of Europe’s highest unemployment rates, Mr. Makalou laughed.
“It can’t be worse than Mali,” he said. “Europeans want to scare us away, but they don’t have a clue what kind of problems we leave behind.”
“It can’t be worse than Mali,” he said. “Europeans want to scare us away, but they don’t have a clue what kind of problems we leave behind.”
Raphael Minder reported from Tarifa, and Jim Yardley from Rome. Gaia Pianigiani contributed reporting from Rome.
Raphael Minder reported from Tarifa, and Jim Yardley from Rome. Gaia Pianigiani contributed reporting from Rome.
