ARCHIVED - 223 irregular migrants reach Murcia in wave of 15 boats

At the same time more than 100 irregular migrants also reached Almeria in another co-ordinated action by criminal gangs

All of the migrants who reached Murcia are Algerian economic migrants

The calm weather conditions have brought yet another wave of irregular migrants from Algeria, with 15 boats intercepted containing 223 irregular migrants,most of them in the Cartagena municipality or in the waters off the Cartagena coast:
Vessel No. 1, Intercepted 6 miles from Cartagena, 17 males,

Boat No. 2, 8 miles from Cabo Negrete, 16 males

Boat No. 3, 4 miles south of Cabo de Palos, 12 males.

Boat No. 4, 8 miles south of Cabo Aguas, 19 males.

Boat No. 5, 6 miles from Cabo Tiñoso, 15 males.

Boat No. 6, Corral beach, Mazarrón, 7 males

Boat No. 7.- at 19 nm. South of Cabo Tiñoso. 23 male immigrants

Boat No. 8.- A at 7 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 18 immigrants, all males of legal age

Vessel nº 9.- Intercepted at 11 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 16 immigrants (12 men, 3 women and 1 baby)

Boat No. 10.- At 9 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 11 male immigrants of legal age

Boat No. 11.- At 18 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso (Cartagena), 12 immigrants (9 men, 2 women and 1 minor)

Boat nº 12. Torre Derribada Beach - San Pedro del Pinatar (Murcia), 15 male immigrants

Boat No. 13.- At 27 nm. South of Cabo Tiñoso, 12 immigrants (11 men and 1 woman),

Boat No. 14, at 5.5 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 18 immigrants (11 men, 3 women and 4
minors)

Boat No. 15, at 4.5 nm. SE of Cabo Tiñoso, 12 male immigrants of legal age,

All the immigrants intercepted on Wednesday in the 15 boats are of Algerian nationality and are in good health.

As is becoming normal in what feels like a now endless wave of one boat after another, all were taken to the Escombreras dock area in Cartagena port , where a dedicated area has been enclosed to prevent any further escapes, while the new arrivals are handed over to the Policia Nacional, and the Cruz Roja.

Every migrant has to be tested for Covid; those who prove to be Covid-positive are being hospitalised and their travelling companions quarantined. Once they have completed quarantine, they are free to leave as there is no mechanism currently available to Spain to repatriate them to Algeria until borders re-open. This is fuelling the drive for the thousands of would-be migrants waiting for a chance to get to Europe to do so at the moment, with the weather calm and the authorities powerless to repatriate.

During the last few weeks the Region of Murcia has received multiple boatloads of irregular migrants from Algeria.

This year the number of migrations to Spain has been lower than normal, due prinicipally to the restrictions caused by Covid-19, but in recent weeks there has been an upsurge in activity as organised crime gangs take advantage of the opportunity to bring increased numbers of economic migrants into Spain.

The desire to seek a better life and try to find employment is understandable, as unemployment is high in Algeria, the country is suffering from severe economic problems, and opportunities, particularly for young people, are extremely limited. Political opposition against the current régime has lead to public protests and an increased level of dissatisfaction within the country, leading many particularly young people to look at Europe as potentially offering better opportunities.

A migrant we spoke to a short time ago stated that Spain was not the ultimate destination for the migrants and that many would continue their journeys to France and Belgium, although some would continue on to try and reach the UK.

Although the number of migrants targeting the Murcia region as an entry point has been more noticeable in the last 3 months, the overall totals of migrants entering Spain via the Western Mediterranean route has fallen considerably, mainly due to the almost complete absence of Moroccans making the journey to enter Europe via the Spanish coastline.

Frontex, the EU border force, reports that there were nearly 1 600 detections of illegal border crossings on the Western Mediterranean migratory route in August 2020, 7% less than in the previous month.

The total for the first eight months of 2020, was nearly half the figure from the same period in the previous year at 8,200, down 46%.

However, Algerians have accounted for nearly two-thirds of all detections on the route this year, and the August figure was six times the figure from a year ago, which ties in with the deteriorating economic and political situation in Algeria, and the border closure in Morocco, which is preventing many of the sub-Saharan migrants getting into Morocco in the first place.

The distance for Algerians to the Spanish coastline favours the Murcia Region and Alicante as chosen destinations, the increase in Algerians logically leading to an increased level of traffic to Murcia.

At the same time as these boats reached Murcia, 12 boats wre reported as arriving on the Alicante coastline, with more than 100 migrants on board, a mixture of Algerians and Magrebis.

NB: The migrants are referred to as “irregular immigrants” by the EU; the Spanish media tend to call them “sin papeles” meaning those with no paperwork entering the country illegally, others refer to them as illegal migrants. The phrase irregular migrants is used on MT in an attempt to convey that these are not refugees, but economic migrants, in this case from Algeria, entering Spain and the EU in an illegal fashion, without passports or documentation and without any legal right to enter the EU as Algeria is not an EU member and there is no migration agreement between the two countries.

Donate to Cruz Roja; Humanitarian work to ensure those arriving in Spain are treated with dignity is undertaken by the humanitarian organisation Cruz Roja. If you would like to donate, here is the link: Cruz Roja Española

Further reading

EU Action plan against Migrant Smuggling 2015/2020 Click to read

EU Directive f2008/115/EC Common standards and procedures in EU Member States for returning illegally staying third country nationals. Click to read

FRONTEX European coast guard and border control agency. This explains more about the migration issue and shows the different routes taken. Our routes here are the "Western Mediterranean" routes used principally by Moroccans And Algerians.Click Frontex