Migrant repatriations halted after mistreatment claims

Senegal on Thursday called a halt to the repatriation of illegal migrants back home from the Spanish Canary Islands after first returnees claim mistreatment. A total of 99 Senegalese migrants were flown home from the Spanish archipelago in the early hours of Thursday, shortly after Spain’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Bernardino Leon announced in Dakar that Madrid planned to repatriate 600-700 illegal Senegalese migrants in the following days. Those flown home in the first plane however said they had been mistreated, had not been told they were being taken home and that some had been handcuffed. “There were difficulties of such a nature that the government decided to suspend flight authorisations for the return of would-be emigrants to Spain,” an official who asked not to be identified told IRIN. “Senegal cannot admit such a situation which moreover violates human rights,” he added. Some of those flown back told reporters that the Spanish authorities had promised to fly them to Malaga or Madrid, but had never mentioned Dakar. “This is unacceptable,” the Senegalese official said. “They should have been told the truth.” Leon said after meeting Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade on Wednesday that “the only future for illegal migration is return - the alternative is death by drowning.” Almost 9,000 illegal migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands in the first five months of this year, almost as many as in 2002, a record-breaking year when 9,929 illegal migrants landed over 12 months. As Spanish territory, the islands that lie only 1,500 km from the Senegalese shore, are a stepping stone into Europe. To help Spain manage the flux of illegal migrants, seven of the country’s European Union partners will begin joint patrols with Madrid off the West African coast soon. Countries involved are Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Portugal. SAB/ CCR