Agreement to curb migration pressure on the Spanish islands

"Some 3,000 sub-Saharan Africans waiting in Morocco to try to get into Spain," leads the ABCdaily following the agreement between Rabat and Madrid that puts an end to the migration crisis caused by the arrival in recent days of 83 migrants from sub-Saharan Africa on Spain’s Isla de Tierra, an uninhabited island "smaller than a football field" lying some thirty metres off the coast of Morocco. Under the agreement, ten immigrants were welcomed by Spain, and the others were landed in Morocco.

To avoid giving a "breath of fresh air" to the mafias who engage in human trafficking from the rocks along the Moroccan coast and enclaves under Spanish sovereignty (the Chafarines Islands, the Rock of Vélez de la Gomera, and the Alhucemas Archipelago), the Ministry of the Interior "wants to send the message that landing on a tiny North African island or rock belonging to our country does not assure passage" to Spain, writes the newspaper.

The agreement with Morocco comes as pressure builds on the borders of the Spanish enclave of Melilla, where on 3 September some 160 migrants tried to climb the border fence, ABCadds —

The gate is open once again [...] Experts consulted say there are an estimated 3,000 sub-Saharans waiting for their chance to get into Spain through the various border points with Morocco.

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