González Laya warns in Senegal against migration that uses illegal routes

The Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha González Laya, today sent a strong message against irregular migration during her visit to Senegal, warning that whoever wants to migrate to Spain must do so through legal channels.

"Whoever uses the illegal routes will have to return to her country. Therefore, whoever wants to use the legal routes," González Laya told the press in Dakar today, underlining that she has the support of the Senegalese authorities.

"The doors of Spain will be open for Senegalese who want to migrate to Spain in a legal and orderly manner," added the head of Spanish diplomacy.

The minister's visit took place at a time when hundreds of young people were once again riding canoes from the coast of this West African country to try to reach the Canary Islands, evoking the 2016 canoe crisis, when almost 32,000 people arrived to those Spanish islands from Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco.

So far this year, more than 18,400 people have arrived on these islands, more than half of them in the last month.

The economic effects of covid-19 and the restriction of movements on land migration routes, due to the closure of many borders due to the pandemic, are some of the reasons that have caused the reactivation of the migration route through the Atlantic.

"We know that one of the consequences of this pandemic was going to be an increase in migration," admitted the minister, noting that she believes that "Spain was prepared" because "the Government has been working on this issue for months and, therefore, is being able to respond in this quick and comprehensive manner. "

However, he clarified, "it is true that the situation, especially this Atlantic route, has opened up very quickly and with a large number of people who have arrived in a short period of time; and in that we also have to work to absorb it" .

González Laya indicated that Spain is going to reinforce the presence of the Spanish Civil Guard and National Police in Senegal "to dismantle criminal networks of human trafficking in this country."

The Civil Guard and the Spanish National Police have been in Senegal since 2006, when they activated a Hispano-Senegalese device of mixed patrols to control migratory flows.

Likewise, she affirmed that Spain and Senegal will work so that "those illegal immigrants who have arrived in Spain of Senegalese nationality are returned to their country. We will do so in compliance with the rules, conventions and agreements that Senegal has with Spain."

For her part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Senegal, Aissata Tall Sall, declared that "the Government of Senegal, under the directives of His Excellency, President Macky Sall, has taken courageous measures" for "the fight against irregular migration" .

"Much is expected of us and much is expected of you. Together we will be able to stop this phenomenon and find satisfactory solutions that will preserve the dignity of our respective peoples and the interests of our governments. It is a colossal task that requires a frank collaboration, better solution and enhanced cooperation, "added Sall.

González Laya also met with the Senegalese president, with whom he had an "excellent conversation" in which he showed his desire to see Spain much more present in Senegal, in the business and investment field.

The Senegalese head of state also expressed his support for the fight against human trafficking and for the repatriation of Senegalese arriving in Spain illegally.

And he thanked the agreement that both countries signed today to protect Spanish and Senegalese workers so that they do not lose their acquired rights in Social Security if they decide to return to their respective countries.

"It is a way of giving a clear signal that Spain has the doors open for legal migration," said González Laya, who this Friday asked the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN Agency for Migration. Refugees (UNHCR) in the management of the strong increase in arrivals of cayucos to the Canary Islands.

During today's day in Dakar, González Laya had breakfast with women leaders of Senegalese civil society and visited the Civil Guard and the Spanish National Police in the port of Dakar.

In the afternoon, he also saw the members of the Ivory Detachment of the Spanish Air Force, which provides transport and logistics supply functions to the troops of the French operation Barkhane to fight jihadism in the Sahel region.

The minister was in Senegal after traveling last October to Niger, Chad, Mali and Burkina Faso, where she addressed security issues, irregular migration, human trafficking, the fight against terrorism and organized crime, but also issues focused on youth. women, the private sector and energy.