Thu, 14 May 11:00 2009

Illegal immigrants risk their lives to reach Spain by boat

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More News from the Costa de Almería

Seeking a better life: One of the boats comes asho

Sudden influx probably prompted by favourable weather forecasts
BY ALFREDO BLOY
IN what has recently become an increasingly regular occurrence in Almeria waters, a total of 160 sub-Saharan illegal immigrants, who were attempting to reach Spain in four small boats, were rescued by the Guardia Civil and the Coast Guard between May 7 and 10. They were intercepted by the authorities in waters near Cabo de Gata and Carboneras, where they were brought ashore and taken to Almeria Port for processing.
But what does processing mean to the immigrants? It depends. If they have papers, they are sent back to their country of origin. If they don’t, they are kept in custody until the authorities decide what to do and, if they request political asylum, this has to be investigated before any decision can be made.
Although the boats all set off from North Africa, the nationalities of their occupants range across Africa. As a rule, the further they have travelled, the more it has cost them, but the dissimilarity in the demographics of these people ends with the fact that they all desperately want to get into Europe.
So far in 2009, 900 sub-Saharan immigrants have landed on the coasts of Andalucia in small boats. Although almost half are intercepted in Almeria waters, many make it as far as Cadiz, Granada and Malaga. But these figures, as impressive as they are, fall below the norm. In 2008 the figure exceeded 3,000 and, in 2007, it was more than 3,700.
It would certainly be unfair to assume that all those frightened faces, their bodies wrapped in Red Cross or Coast Guard blankets, are one and the same. Some are genuine refugees, escaping warring regions, whilst many others merely seek a better life in Europe, where salaries can be ten times that of some of their countries of origin. Their social status in their countries of origin can vary greatly too. While some are uneducated and unskilled people, escaping poverty, others may have university educations or professional qualifications and may have occupied senior positions.
Migration is a fact of life. Whilst we, ourselves, are immigrants, we have been fortunate enough to come from a developed country - a fellow member-state of the European Union. And whilst Mexicans, crossing into the US to seek a better life, only have to negotiate a fence, the sub-Saharan’s have to risk their very lives in precarious craft, crossing the treacherous waters of the Mediterranean.

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