Morocco and Spain have reached a new agreement on the extradition of migrants who arrived irregularly to the Canary Islands, by opening two new lines from the Canary Islands to Casablanca and Agadir, in addition to an existing route to Laayoune.
The Spanish government expects the number of migrants who will be returned to Morocco to “significantly increase”, compared to pre-covid-19, according to sources who spoke to Spanish El Pais.
According to Spanish police data, in 2021, 40% of illegal immigrants arrived on the Spanish coast from Morocco, 30% from Algeria, and 30% from sub-Saharan countries.
Spanish media sources indicate that negotiations on the new and returning flight paths were managed by the Ministry of the Interior, before the message of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to King Mohammed VI.
The number of migrants who have managed to reach the Canary Islands in 2021 has reached 20,148.
According to data from the IOM, 2020 and 2021 saw a considerable increase in the number of migrants attempting to reach Europe via the Canary Islands.
Analysts say difficult economic situations, exacerbated by the pandemic, in addition to insecurity and the climate crisis all contributed to the rise in migrants on this route.
The total number of deaths at sea remains an estimate, the IOM indicated, as it only accounts for the victims whose bodies were found or whose deaths were attested to by survivors.
Amid the Morocco-Spain political crisis sparked by the hospitalization of Polisario’s leader, Brahim Ghali, last year, over 8,000 people stormed the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in May, with overcrowded boats filled with men, women, and children, while many others crawled over fences or swam across into Spain.
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