The European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, reports illegal immigration into Europe via the so-called West African route has surged by 541 percent over the last two months. This surge represents the highest count for the period since Frontex began collecting data in 2011.
Human trafficking outfits in Mauritania — infamous for not having criminalized slavery until 2007 and for allowing it to persist at scale outside the law — have been reportedly pushing sub-Saharan migrants through the country to the Canary Islands.
The Canaries, off the coast of West Africa, belong to Spain and therefore qualify as European Union (EU) soil. Migrants are reaching the islands in makeshift boats, known locally as “cayuco” boats, with many drowning due to their unseaworthiness.
The Eastern Mediterranean illegal immigration route from Turkey to Greece, meanwhile, saw a 117 percent increase in arrivals, while the Western Mediterranean route from North Africa to mainland Spain saw a 48 percent increase.
The Central Mediterranean route from North Africa to Italy has bucked the trend with a 70 percent drop, although this follows earlier record increases under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
However, Frontex does not appear particularly interested in helping EU governments protect their borders, with agency head Hans Leijtens urging governments to abandon the “narrative” of “stopping people” in January.
“Nothing can stop people from crossing a border, no wall, no fence, no sea, no river,” he claimed.