Date Published: 22/06/2020
ARCHIVED - 10 irregular immigrants detained after landing on Águilas beach
ARCHIVED ARTICLE
The EU is working to increase the rate of expulsions of irregular immigrants and restore unity following the 2015 migrant crisis
A boat containing 10 illegal immigrants managed to reach the Aguilas coastline close to the border with neighbouring Almería in the early hours of Monday morning without being detected out at sea.
The boat was spotted on the beach of Playa de la Carolina and the police alerted by phone just before 06.00.
Immediately officers of the Guardia Civíl were sent to the area and a search ensued to establish the whereabouts of the occupants of the boat.
Once safely located, all ten were checked over by Cruz Roja for any immediately visible medical problems, and all found to be in apparently good health. The ten, all from Algeria, have been tested for Covid-19 using PCR swab tests and will now be transferred to an immigrant transit centre where attempts will be made to repatriate them to their country of origin.
European Commission working to create a new EU pact to close frontiers, expel irregular migrants and restore European unity on migration
One of the most divisive issues to challenge EU unity has been migration and since the 2015 migration crisis the EU has been preparing plans to re-establish unity in the Schengen area by re-enforcing border control and expelling larger numbers of irregular migrants.
The plan has been drawn up by Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas and Interior Commissioner Ylva Johansson.
Frontex border control
One of the key aims of the pact is to prevent irregular migration, and the scale of activity by the European Border Agency (Frontex), is being increased significantly.
Frontex will control its own 10,000 strong police force, the first 265 of which have now been selected and are in training, with a further 400 to follow in September.
The Agency plans to operate its own surveillance resources which CEO Fabrice Leggeri expects to be financially supported in the new EU budgetary framework (2021-2027), currently under negotiation, increasing surveillance and supplying a task force which can offer mobile support where required.
Increasing expulsions
The pact also aims to speed up and improve the expulsion procedures for those who have entered the European Union irregularly.
At the moment only an average of 36% of expulsion orders are executed throughout the EU, which leaves tens of thousands in an irregular situation every year on Community territory.
In Spain this means that thousands of migrants who manage to complete the dangerous crossing by small boats from Africa are able to remain in Spain, albeit as “sin papeles” or illegals, but without any right to work or legally make a living.
This results inevitably in exploitation, migrants disappearing beneath the vast sprawling plastic plantations in Almería where they work in conditions which would be unacceptable to native agricultural workers in extreme heat, undertaking the jobs which nobody else is willing to do, although the Spanish authorities vigorously deny that this is happening.
Many more disappear into the cities and assist drivers in parking their vehicles in return for a tip, regardless of whether this service is required or not, or hawk fake branded goods in street markets on paseos, gathering up their stock at lightning speed into a blanket and disappearing each time a police patrol appears on the scene.
It’s nothing more than a half life, yet thousands are willing to take extreme risks in order to achieve it.
The European Commission wants to overcome the objections of Poland and Hungary to a migration pact and seek instead a “mandatory solidarity effort”. Partners will be able to collaborate not only by welcoming asylees but through other formulae, such as the contribution of human or material resources and aid programmes.