Migrants return to dangerous Canary Islands route

August 25, 2020 and   

(AFP) Heightened security in the Mediterranean is pushing more migrants seeking a better life in Europe to try the longer — and more dangerous — Atlantic crossing to Spain’s Canary Islands, which have seen a surge in arrivals.

Use of the route “exploded” after Morocco began moving migrants away from its northern shore in September 2019 to prevent them from setting off by boat to southern Spain, Txema Santana, of the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid (CEAR), said.

The move followed an agreement with the European Union, which has struck similar deals with other nations, such as Libya and Turkey, that have long served as launch pads for attempted crossings of the Mediterranean to Europe.

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