04/04/2006
stampa
invia
stampainvia
The new routes of illegal aliens pass through Mauritania. The risks increase. So do the deaths
From Ceuta and Melilla to the Canaries. The destinations may change, but the
flow of illegal immigrants who leave Africa every night trying to reach the fortress
of Europe do not. In five months, in the crossing from the coast of Mauritania
to Spain, at least a thousand people have died, 32 in the last weekend alone.
Waiting. “Half of those who try actually make it. The other half turn back, or they die”.
Father Jerome Dukiya speaks clearly, this priest who runs a centre for immigrants
in Nouadhibou, a city at the northernmost point of Mauritania and the principal
port of the country. “We try to make the immigrants feel at home: we organise
conferences, exhibitions, and football matches. While waiting for the crossing
it is important for these kids to turn off and distract themselves occasionally”.
The authorities of Mauritania have calculated that at least 10 thousand illegal
aliens live in the city and in the surrounding areas, waiting to set off on the
new route of hope. 640 km separate the African coast from the Canaries, the bridge
on the way to Europe. But for more than one in four the dream will be transformed
into tragedy: according to the Red Crescent, since last November at least a thousand
people have died attempting the crossing.
The hope. Trying to convince them not to cross is as difficult a job as the crossing itself.
“We try to dissuade them, to make them go back home” continues Jerome, who is
the first to admit that it is wishful thinking. “They hope for a better future:
letters arrive in their countries from relatives who have made it and on one salary
in Europe maintain an entire family back home. Of course they don’t want to turn
back. When they do, it’s only because the crossing attempt has failed, and they
usually return home only for the time necessary to gather enough money for another
trip”. Others, on the contrary, remain in Mauritania, working for months to buy
another “ticket” from the people traffickers. A ticket which is expensive, at
least 550 dollars. Without counting what it costs the immigrants to reach Nouadhibou
from their country of origin. Almost all of them come from West Africa. “They
used to leave from the ports in Morocco and the western Sahara, but the Moroccan
authorities have strengthened the border checks. So they are forced to leave from
Nouadhibou, which is much further from the Canaries. And so the risks increase”.
But nothing stops the flight of the desperate, not even the new joint policies
agreed on by Spain and Mauritania.
The emergency. In recent months, departures from Nouadhibou have multiplied, catching the local
government off its guard. Mauritania has made it clear that it is not able to
control the flow of boats that leave for the Canaries every night. So, in Madrid,
they have rushed to resolve the problem, supplying the Mauritanian navy with interceptors,
organising shelters and immigrant centres on the African coasts and beefing up
the controls in the sea. PeaceReporter has tried several times to contact the Spanish authorities to try to understand
the operation of the centres, but without result. It is, in any case, difficult
to imagine these measures doing anything to reduce the flow. Also because, in
the words of Jerome, “when the authorities close down one route, another one opens
up immediately. It is an endless vicious circle. If the immigrants aren’t scared
of losing their lives in the crossing, why should they worry about a few dozen
more kilometres of journey?”
Waiting. “Half of those who try actually make it. The other half turn back, or they die”.
Father Jerome Dukiya speaks clearly, this priest who runs a centre for immigrants
in Nouadhibou, a city at the northernmost point of Mauritania and the principal
port of the country. “We try to make the immigrants feel at home: we organise
conferences, exhibitions, and football matches. While waiting for the crossing
it is important for these kids to turn off and distract themselves occasionally”.
The authorities of Mauritania have calculated that at least 10 thousand illegal
aliens live in the city and in the surrounding areas, waiting to set off on the
new route of hope. 640 km separate the African coast from the Canaries, the bridge
on the way to Europe. But for more than one in four the dream will be transformed
into tragedy: according to the Red Crescent, since last November at least a thousand
people have died attempting the crossing.The hope. Trying to convince them not to cross is as difficult a job as the crossing itself.
“We try to dissuade them, to make them go back home” continues Jerome, who is
the first to admit that it is wishful thinking. “They hope for a better future:
letters arrive in their countries from relatives who have made it and on one salary
in Europe maintain an entire family back home. Of course they don’t want to turn
back. When they do, it’s only because the crossing attempt has failed, and they
usually return home only for the time necessary to gather enough money for another
trip”. Others, on the contrary, remain in Mauritania, working for months to buy
another “ticket” from the people traffickers. A ticket which is expensive, at
least 550 dollars. Without counting what it costs the immigrants to reach Nouadhibou
from their country of origin. Almost all of them come from West Africa. “They
used to leave from the ports in Morocco and the western Sahara, but the Moroccan
authorities have strengthened the border checks. So they are forced to leave from
Nouadhibou, which is much further from the Canaries. And so the risks increase”.
But nothing stops the flight of the desperate, not even the new joint policies
agreed on by Spain and Mauritania. The emergency. In recent months, departures from Nouadhibou have multiplied, catching the local
government off its guard. Mauritania has made it clear that it is not able to
control the flow of boats that leave for the Canaries every night. So, in Madrid,
they have rushed to resolve the problem, supplying the Mauritanian navy with interceptors,
organising shelters and immigrant centres on the African coasts and beefing up
the controls in the sea. PeaceReporter has tried several times to contact the Spanish authorities to try to understand
the operation of the centres, but without result. It is, in any case, difficult
to imagine these measures doing anything to reduce the flow. Also because, in
the words of Jerome, “when the authorities close down one route, another one opens
up immediately. It is an endless vicious circle. If the immigrants aren’t scared
of losing their lives in the crossing, why should they worry about a few dozen
more kilometres of journey?” The journey. On the Spanish coast the situation isn’t any better. “The flow is not constant;
it depends greatly on the conditions of the sea. Last week only one boat arrived,
the previous week, three came in one night alone” the press office of the Spanish
Red Cross informed PeaceReporter. “Many of those we pick up are dehydrated, in terrible condition. Since the
beginning of the year 3,500 have arrived, almost all of them in Gran Canaria and
Tenerife”. After the initial assistance, the illegal aliens are locked up in temporary
holding centres, before being put onto ships headed back to Mauritania. From there,
they are accompanied right to the border, in the middle of the desert. For their
return journey they are given “supplies” of a bottle of water and two tins of
sardines. Try again; you’ll be luckier next time! Maybe.
Matteo Fagotto
Articoli correlati:
Gli argomenti più discussi:
Le parole chiave più ricorrenti:
