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sub-Saharan immigrants. Caring for. Photo: Chema Moya/EFE. “Every year thousands of undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers, mostly from Africa, enter Morocco. They stop there before attempting to cross into the European Union.
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sub-Saharanimmigrants Caring for Photo: Chema Moya/EFE
“Every year thousands of undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers, mostly from Africa, enter Morocco. They stop there before attempting to cross into the European Union. Undocumented immigrants in Morocco are extremely vulnerable and easy victims of abuse and human rights violations. Many suffer from poor health due to pandemic illnesses, such as AIDS or tuberculosis and have little access to treatment. Once in Morocco, they may be easily exploited or forced to make money through prostitution. Injuries caused by violence, inflicted at the hands of the police, other authorities and smugglers, is the most common reason for immigrants to be treated by the MSF team. While waiting to migrate, some are discovered by the authorities and sent back to their own countries.” Photo: Rafael Marchante/REUTERS Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières MSF Activity Reports on Morocco 2005 – “News from Morocco” http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/morocco.cfm
NGOs denounced violations of the Human Rights in the border 'sin papeles‘ used rudimentary stairs in an organized assault. http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2005/09/29/solidaridad/1127989986.html
They have risked their lives on journeys which can last for months. Many arrive with nothing, having left their homes and family behind. Some speak of escaping war and poverty and pay hundreds of euros to organized dealers for the passage.
October 12, 2005 Nearly 1.000 sub-Saharan Immigrants Moved Away on Buses to Morocco's Southern Border by the Moroccan Government Doctors Without Borders/Medécins Sans Frontières (MSF) demands from Moroccan authorities free access to provide care to around 1.000 immigrants, gathered in the area of Bou-Izakarn, 30 km north from Goulimine, located 1.500 km from Rabat. Some of them, including pregnant women and children, were cast off to fend for themselves in the desert area of Ain Chouater without water or food. http://www.elpais.es/articulo/elpporesp/20051008elpepunac_1/Tes
October 2005 Dr. Javier Gabaldon, MSF general coordinator in Morocco, underlines that the affected people "are extremely weak" and that "among this group there are people who are sick and injured, pregnant women and children in need of immediate medical care." http://www.elpais.es/articulo/elpporesp/20051008elpepunac_1/Tes
Assistance and protection for refugees in the border with Algeria El-Hna-Tindouf
Taking care of the immigrants in the desert and in the border with Algeria http://www.elpais.es/articulo/elpporesp/20051008elpepunac_1/Tes
My name is Morgan, I'm 30 years old. I tried to get to the Canary Islands once before but didn't make it, I'm on my way back to try a second time. The boat I was on was intercepted by the Spanish police as we reached land. I was put in detention and then deported back to Nigeria. That journey was quite possibly the most frightening experience of my life and had we not been picked up by the authorities, we would all have died. Despite this, I am on my way back, to try again, a second time. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5331896.stm
They come across the desert... Photo: Chema Moya/EFE
Photo: Rafael Marchante/REUTERS And they come across the sea…
Africans are making treacherous sea journeys to reach Europe http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5331896.stm
Messages of thanks and prayers asking God for a safe passage at sea are written on many of the boats. Senegalese fishing boats - or cayucosas they are called in Spain - have become the preferred method of transport for illegal immigrants trying to reach the Canary Islands. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/5335062.stm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/5335062.stm
The immigrants are escorted into the harbour by the coastguard and rounded up by the police. They are given a health check by Red Cross officials - some are emaciated, while others are still in a good condition.
After being examined, the immigrants are placed on buses and taken to detention centres or courts.
The immigration wave CANARY ISLANDS' IMMIGRATION 1 Jan - 7 Sept 2006 Gran Canaria: 4.079 Fuerteventura: 1.496 Lanzarote: 201 Tenerife: 13.078 La Gomera: 2.660 El Hierro: 1.679 Total: 23.193 IMMIGRANTS IN DETENTION Las Raices: 3.076 Hoya Fria: 1.320 Playa de las Americas police station: 800 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5331896.stm
The immigration wave The number ofirregular immigrants deported to its countries, has increased 20% since 2005. Half of them have been rejected in the border. Routes from Africa to Europe: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5331896.stm La inmigración en España:http://www.elpais.es/todo-sobre/tema/inmigracion/Espana/27/
Italy and Libya have been accused of abusing the human rights of African migrants trying to enter the EU. “I can’t count the number of times I was beaten up on the street by Libyans… The people in cars try to run you down. There are always insults on the street. You live in fear. I just concentrated on getting home safely from work every day.” Ahmad, a Sudanese asylum seeker in Italy, describing conditions he experienced in Libya from 1992-2003 “The European Union is working with Libya to block these people from reaching Europe rather than helping them to get the protection they need.” Bill Frelick, director of the Refugee Policy Program for Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch report, “Stemming the Flow: Abuses Against Migrants, Asylum Seekers and Refugees,”http://hrw.org/reports/2006/libya0906
Stemming the immigration wave Europe has taken its fight to control the boatloads of African immigrants setting off for the Canary Islands to the coasts of western Africa. Patrol boats, planes and helicopters from Spain, Italy, Portugal and Finland are operating off the shores of Mauritania, Senegal and Cape Verde in a bid to stop the immigration at source. Operation Hera II is the first of its kind for the European agency FRONTEX, led by the Spanish Guardia Civil [Civil Guard]. Mauritania: 4 former Guardia Civil patrol boats, 1 Guardia Civil patrol boat, 1 Guardia Civil helicopter, 1 Customs patrol Senegal: 1 Italian ship, 1 Italian plane, 1 Guardia Civil patrol boat, 1 Spanish Police helicopter, 3 Senegalese boats, 1 Senegalese plane, 1 Finnish plane due Cape Verde: 1 Portuguese frigate http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5331896.stm
Single issue The Guardia Civil patrols used to target drug dealers, illegal fishing and other crimes at sea, but now they are solely dedicated to immigration. "There isn't time for anything else!"
“Before the European Union countries created joint policies, many African countries could rely on trade with former colonial powers. Now that has ended, the local currency suffers and trade with Europe is expensive. But television and events like the Paris-Dakar rally tempt young Africans to want to go to the West. These are young guys, they see the bikes, the computers, the internet and they are attracted. When people talk about an immigration problem they only think of black men. If two white men and one black man are selling things in the street, the black man will be asked for his papers. I'm not saying they are racist but they have to be fair. I've been here 14 years but some people think I've just arrived and ask how did I come? Did I come by cayuco? Now that it is on TV everywhere the children will see it and things will stick in their minds. The EU does not respect Africa - and Africa's leaders just go there to beg. The EU should deal more with the African Union and regional blocs like Ecowas to help or put pressure on countries like Senegal.” Ghanaian businessman Tomas Doe, 51 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5328142.stm
Photo: Ricardo Gutierrez/EFE 15 September, 2006 - illegal Senegalese migrants have been flown home from the Spanish Canary Islands amid tight security Spain says it cannot cope with the influx of Africans - about 24.000 have made the often perilous sea crossing to the Canary Islands this year. It is believed that half of them are Senegalese. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5348192.stm
Photo: Manuel Lérida/Efe “You have tried an adventure, you've returned in difficult conditions but that's life, it's not the end of the world.” Ass Sougoufara, Senegalese regional governor
Photo: Chema Moya/EFE Who cares?
[Sources Agência Europeia de Gestão da Cooperação Operacional nas Fronteiras Externas (FRONTEX)Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos de Andalucía [ http://www.apdha.org ]BBC- News [ http://news.bbc.co.uk ] Ciudad Redonda [ http://ciudadredonda.org ]Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières [ http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org ]El Mundo [http://www.elmundo.es]El Pais [ http://www.elpais.es]Fundació Lluis Espinal - Centro de Estudios Cristianisme i Justícia[ http://www.fespinal.com] Human Rights Watch [ http://www.hrw.org ]UNHCR [http://www.unhcr.org ] [Pictures Credits AFP [ http://www.afp.com/portugues/home/ ] AP - Associated Press[ http://www.ap.org ] EFE [ http://www.efe.es] REUTERS [ http://photos.reuters.com/Pictures/default.aspx ] [Photos Chema Moya/EFE Manuel Lérida/EFE Ricardo Gutierrez/EFE Rafael Marchante/REUTERS
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