I came across this story just as I finished my previous post last night about East Africans entering the US illegally. What struck me right away in this latest article is that those trying to enter Europe (Spain in this case) illegally are so-called “refugees” from Somalia and Eritrea (two of the 4 countries sending illegals to the US).
A series of tragedies involving migrants off the coast of Spain have raised fears that the summer could see a record-breaking death toll in the region, as refugees embark on increasingly perilous routes in smaller boats to avoid detection.
According to human rights agencies, there has been a sharp increase in the numbers of people attempting to make the sea crossing from North Africa to southern Europe, many of them from sub-Saharan conflict zones such as Eritrea and Somalia.
After a week of disasters and rescues at sea that has shocked Spaniards, authorities have identified the coastal port of Almería as the new favoured destination for human traffickers attempting to avoid increased police patrols and surveillance. A total of 51 migrant deaths at sea has been reported this year, but the actual mortality rate is certain to be far higher, since the bodies of many refugees are never recovered. The Red Cross estimates between 2,000 and 3,000 people die trying to reach Spain every year.
I’m making a new category called ‘Africa’, because we have posted so many times on issues relating to the continent and it looks like there will be no let-up.