Spain, Senegal agree anti-migrant moves but no deal

Spain and Senegal yesterday agreed to work to stem a flood of illegal African migrants coming ashore in the Canary Islands bound for Europe, but they failed to sign a formal repatriation agreement.

Spain's proximity to Africa puts it in the front line of Europe's efforts to control a growing influx of clandestine immigrants, many of whom pack into small open boats leaving the long, unguarded Atlantic coastlines of Mauritania and Senegal.

Hundreds are believed to drown on the perilous journey.

The European Union pledged help to Spain yesterday to deal with the crisis, saying it would be ready to send medical teams and organise naval and air patrols.

More than 7,000 African migrants have landed in Spain's Canary Islands so far this year - nearly 2,000 this month alone - prompting the Spanish government to launch a diplomatic offensive in West Africa to try to halt the exodus.

After talks in the Senegalese capital Dakar, Spanish Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Bernardino Leon said his government believed illegal immigrants should be sent back to their home countries.

"The aim is to increase our cooperation on migration in all areas... what we need at this time is to speed up these repatriations and for people to realise that we're in a moment of crisis," he told reporters.

But Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Tidiane Gadio made clear that his country, the origin of thousands of migrants trying to enter Europe via Spain illegally each year, would not sign an accord to automatically repatriate those intercepted.

Senegal would, however, work together with Spain to try to halt departures of boats carrying illegal migrants and crack down on people-smuggling gangs.

"There is cooperation, but we haven't signed an agreement," Mr Gadio told reporters at a news conference.

But he said Senegal's government was willing to assist its nationals stranded abroad, including bringing them home if necessary. A team of Senegalese officials would fly to the Canary Islands to interview illegal migrants held there. Mr Leon, who also held talks in neighbouring Mauritania on the migration problem, praised the efforts of the Senegalese authorities to clamp down on illegal sea departures.

Senegal's navy said on Monday it had seized 19 boats over the weekend carrying 1,500 would-be migrants, including 60 suspected migrant-traffickers.

But Mr Leon said more needed to be done. "There are still boats leaving the Senegalese coast," he said.

He said Spain was applying a global approach to the problem by seeking help from the EU, international organisations and African governments to tackle what he called the "humanitarian crisis" of the illegal migrants.

This included offering increased aid and investment to African countries who helped.

Senegalese authorities are increasing land and sea patrols to stop local fishing boats jammed with migrants from making the week-long journey north to the Spanish Canary Islands.