Spain has reached agreements with Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal to enhance cooperation in tackling illegal migration to Europe and to promote regulated migration.
The agreements were reached during Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s west African tour, which aims to address the increasing influx of illegal migrants into Spain.
On Tuesday evening, Spain signed a memorandum of understanding with Mauritania on “circular migration,” and a similar agreement with Gambia on Wednesday. These memoranda establish a framework for managed migration to Spain, focusing on labor needs and prioritizing young people and women.
Additionally, Spain and Mauritania have signed a “declaration of intent” to bolster collaboration against organized crime, particularly human trafficking. Sánchez emphasized this goal during his meeting with Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, as reported by Mauritania’s state agency.
In Senegal, the third and final stop of his three-day tour of West Africa, Pedro Sánchez affirms his commitment to fighting “the criminal networks that engage in human trafficking” between Africa and the Canary Islands.
“And to fight against this threat to the stability and security of our societies, it is also essential that those who have entered Spain illegally return to their countries,” the Spanish Prime Minister stated in an address while attending this Thursday an event showcasing collaboration projects at the Cervantes Institute in Dakar.
Spain is experiencing a sharp increase in illegal migration, primarily through the Canary Islands. Between January 1 and August 15, over 22,300 migrants arrived in the Canaries, up 126% from 9,864 in the same period last year. For Spain as a whole, the increase is 66%, from 18,745 to 31,155.
The three west African countries are key departure points for many migrants.