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According to his report for the La Gaceta news outlet, this year’s influx of illegal immigrants onto the Spanish archipelago has seen many new arrivals from recent conflict zones including Syria and Afghanistan with many using the Atlantic migratory route to enter the European Union.
However, the new wave of migration is marked by both volume and complexity. According to Pulido’s sources within the Spanish authorities, many of the latest arrivals have travel histories indicating previous stops in regions known for high Islamic radicalization, such as Lebanon, Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia.
“The latest arrivals are complex because they come from high-risk areas,” he cites an officer from the National Police, adding that these individuals often pay high sums for passage and present passports showing extensive travel across the Middle East and North Africa.
Many appear to have no issue with paying the fees charged by smuggling gangs to cross with many migrants reaching airports in West African countries like Senegal and Mauritania on flights from Turkey.
From there, they obtain short-term visas and secure spots on boats operated by traffickers to reach the Canary Islands. “They usually have a lot of money, so it doesn’t take them long to find a boat,” a National Police officer told the Spanish publication.
As a result, a far greater percentage of recent arrivals being processed for asylum in Spain are now being monitored for possible radicalization, either themselves or with a view to radicalizing others.
“This has caused some of the immigrants who have arrived from Western Asia to be under monitoring right now,” the officer added.
National Police agents are closely screening large numbers of migrants landing on the Spanish islands, with security officials reportedly expressing increasing security concerns.
The number of illegal migrants arriving on Spanish territory in the first six weeks of 2024 was almost six times more than the corresponding period last year, with the majority arriving via the Canary Islands.
A jump of 541 percent in illegal activity along the Western African route into Europe was recorded by Frontex in March and has remained high throughout the year, causing local politicians and residents alike on the Spanish archipelago to sound the alarm about failing social cohesion and a saturation of public services.
Journalists like Pulido who following illegal immigration in Spain very closely have published multiple videos on social media showing huge lines of migrants waiting at the islands’ regional airports awaiting transportation to the Spanish mainland at the cost of taxpayers before they are dispersed across the country’s major cities.
“Our problem is your problem. This year, more than 70,000 illegal immigrants are expected to arrive in the Canary Islands. The government is creating a pull factor without historical precedent and Spain is becoming the biggest gateway for illegal immigration in Europe,” Pulido wrote in August.
This in itself has made for significant security concerns, with migrants often holed up in major airports for days before they are relocated.
Earlier this month, four Moroccan citizens seeking asylum escaped from a reception room at Madrid’s Barajas Airport by climbing through a gap in the ceiling, according to sources from the country’s interior ministry. They had not been vetted or processed and were not immediately caught by the authorities.
The influx of illegal immigration has turned public opinion against the socialist government’s open borders approach, according to new polling published this month.
The survey by the 40dB Institute for El País and Cadena SER revealed that 75 percent of Spaniards now associate immigration with negative concepts such as insecurity, crime, and overburdened public services.
The increase in concern — up by 16 points over the last year and a half — reflects a considerable shift at a time when the migrant crisis, particularly on the Canary Islands archipelago, is at the forefront of public debate.
The situation in the Canary Islands has escalated, with Frontex reporting a staggering 541% increase in illegal activity along the Western African route in just a few months. This surge, coupled with the presence of migrants from high-risk regions, has prompted Spanish authorities to enhance security measures. Public sentiment has shifted drastically, with a recent poll revealing that 75% of Spaniards now view immigration negatively, associating it with insecurity and strain on public services. The government faces increasing pressure as it seeks to manage the influx and its implications for Spanish society.