Dakar
10 July 2008
At least 15 would be migrants, many of them young children, have diedoff the coast of Spain in an attempt to reach Europe from Africa in asmall boat. The incident is the second this week in which would-bemigrants to Spain have perished, and comes as both European and Africanleaders are again addressing the migration issue. Brent Latham hasmore from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.
The migrants wereaboard a small craft that was attempting to make the crossing fromAfrica to Spain. Spanish police said of the 15 reported deaths, atleast nine were children, aged from nine months to four years,according to rescued survivors.
A total of 34 survivors werefound by the Spanish Coast Guard about 40 kilometers off the coast ofsouthern Spain. The Spanish police said that the exact number and ageof the dead could not be confirmed, because survivors had thrown someof the bodies overboard.
Survivors told police they had spent five days at sea.
Thetragedy was the second this week off the coast of Spain involvingSub-Saharan African migrants. Earlier in the week at least 14 Nigerianmigrants are believed to have drowned when their boat capsized in heavyseas.
Attempts to make the journey from Africa to Europeincrease during the European summer, says Olivia Acosta, a Spain-basedspokeswoman for the Red Cross. The Red Cross is called upon to assistimmigrants after they have arrived.
Acosta says in summer the seas are calmer, but the intense heat is oppressive.
Therough conditions can be especially difficult on children. A spokesmanfor Save the Children in Spain, who did not want to be named, saidmothers often bring their young children along on the journey.
He says that the children are particularly vulnerable, but their mothers are reluctant to leave them behind in poverty.
Thislatest tragedy comes after some African leaders condemned new EuropeanUnion policies on illegal immigrants. At a conference on the issue inDakar on Wednesday, many African representatives spoke harshly aboutnew EU measures that could increase arrests and deportations ofmigrants.
Senegal's Foreign Minister, Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, toldreporters that he was surprised by the EU initiatives. He said that "the time has past when Europe decided things on its own andAfrica fell in line."
Under the new migration pact, if it isfinalized later this year, the EU would expel more illegal immigrantsand promote legal migration. One component which would attract moreeducated migrants from Africa has been heavily criticized by somedetractors who have said the measures will make Africa poorer.