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26 May 2006
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE — Spanish authorities stopped a boat carrying 99 West African illegal immigrants bound for the Canary Islands.
The operation off the West African coast some 90 miles southeast of Tenerife was part of escalated efforts to stem a rising tide of arrivals of illegal immigrants in these Spanish islands.
Those aboard the boat were transferred to a Spanish vessel and taken to the port of Los Cristianos, where they disembarked on Friday, the Red Cross said.
On Monday, the local government of the Canary Islands requested economic aid from the European Union and the intervention of the Spanish navy to counter the wave of illegal immigrants from West Africa.
The regional parliament met to discuss the crisis confronting the archipelago in recent weeks after the arrival of some 2,000 immigrants.
Local centres set up to temporarily house migrants and medical centres have been swamped.
The EU agreed to send a taskforce to help stem the tide.
The Spanish government also sent extra resources to the islands after an emergency meeting.
[Copyright EFE with Expatica]
Subject: Spanish news