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Spain: more and more migrants are taking the Canary route
Spain: more and more migrants are taking the Canary route
(Franceinfo)
For several months, the Canary Islands have become the preferred route for migrants from West Africa, particularly Senegal. A long and perilous road, which leaves an indelible mark on those who arrive safely.
The haggard look, the empty look. Men have just spent more than a week in the ocean. They left their country, left everything behind them. Risking their lives, they arrived in Tenerife (Spain), Europe. Like them, nearly 70,000 migrants have reached the Canary Islands since 2020. A route increasingly popular with exiles. When they arrive, some are exhausted. Sometimes they came close to death. Many have to be treated in hospital. This is the case of a Senegalese man who has been bedridden for a month and 11 days. He spent two weeks in a coma: “I went through difficult things. At sea, I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t drink. If I had stayed any longer, I would have died”.
“You tell yourself you’re going to die.”
How did they arrive in the archipelago, the gateway to Europe? Since 2020, many have passed through Morocco. But in recent months, many exiles have come directly from West Africa, and more particularly from Senegal. For them, the road is even longer. Demba Gueye carries this journey of more than 1,000 km like a burden: “Everything was difficult. We didn’t have enough water, we didn’t have enough to eat. You cry, you tell yourself you’re going to die.” The Canary Islands route is considered one of the deadliest. At least 3,000 people have died since 2020, according to the International Organization for Migration.
