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WORLD NEWS Friday 10 august 2018

Spain takes more African migrants despite signs of tension

By BARRY HATTON government with just 84 of
VALERIO NICOLOSI the 350 seats in the lower
ALGECIRAS, Spain (AP) — house of parliament.
A rescue boat carrying 87 It has also fueled fears that
African migrants who were populism may spread fur-
saved in the Mediterra- ther in the EU. Far-right par-
nean Sea docked Thursday ties have joined the gov-
at the southern Spanish ernments in Italy and Aus-
port of Algeciras, but with- tria and made gains else-
out the welcome offered to where. Residents from the
previous groups as the po- region around Algeciras
litical mood in Spain began expressed concern about
showing signs of tension the latest arrivals.
about a spike in migrant ar- "With so much unemploy-
rivals. ment we do not need ex-
The boat operated by tra expenses," Manuel Ruiz
Spanish aid group Proac- said. "The refugees, be-
tiva Open Arms brought cause they are not cared
what it said were mostly for properly, they start steal-
Sudanese war refugees, in- ing to live and this causes
cluding 12 minors, picked all sorts of problems." He
up off the Libyan coast on added: "We have to give
Aug. 2. Migrants are led to the Migrants Reception Center near Algerciras, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 9, 2018. them all the aid we can,
Spain allowed the boat Associated Press but it has to be balanced."
to come after other, geo- Jose Lopez Vicente feared
graphically closer, Europe- lencia a special entry per- the end of the year. says almost 24,000 refugees a backlash.
an Union countries refused mit into Spain of 45 days The Spanish Network for and other migrants have "I think the European Union
to let it dock amid continu- for humanitarian reasons. Immigration and Refugee arrived in Spain by sea this should take more of an in-
ing tension among EU gov- A further 60 who arrived Help, a non-governmental year — nearly three times terest in this situation. If not,
ernments about how best on a rescue ship in Barce- organization, accused the the number last year. the population will become
to respond to the wave of lona last month were given government of abruptly The agency says Spain has racist, even if they are not."
migrants crossing from Af- a 30-day permit while they "changing course" in its become the most popular Sanchez, the prime min-
rica. decided what to do. Their immigration policies and European destination for ister, says his government
Spain's new center-left So- paperwork was also fast- "discriminating" against the Mediterranean migrants, and EU officials are in talks
cialist government made tracked. new arrivals. with just over 40 percent of with Morocco, from where
fair treatment for migrants But those who arrived in Al- "We'd like Spain to remain the total, after Libya and It- traffickers take the migrants
one of its headline policies geciras on Thursday will get a safe haven and be a bul- aly began cracking down. across the Mediterranean,
after coming to power two no such special treatment. wark against the populism Most come on overcrowd- and with the migrants'
months ago. They will be processed, the of (Italian Interior Minister ed smugglers' boats from countries of origin on how
In June, it announced mea- government said, like any Matteo) Salvini and (French Tunisia and Morocco. to stem the flow.
sures to "put people's rights other migrants rescued at far-right nationalist leader Opposition leader Pablo Elsewhere in the Mediterra-
first" in the country's migra- sea: held by police for 72 Marine) Le Pen," the orga- Casado has targeted Prime nean on Thursday, a boat
tion policies. Among other hours at a migrant camp, nization's president, Daniel Minister Pedro Sanchez's carrying migrants capsized
things, it took the first steps given a medical check-up, Mendez, told Spanish news immigration policies. off the Turkish coast, killing
toward extending public identified and detained agency Europa Press. "What Spaniards are look- seven children and two
health care to foreigners while they await asylum or Critics of the new govern- ing for is a party which says women, Turkey's state-run
without residence permits. are given an expulsion or- ment's perceived softer clearly that we can't give news agency said. Many
That same month, it ac- der. approach toward migrants documents to everyone, migrants continue to at-
cepted the Aquarius res- The government official said its policies had back- and Spain can't take in mil- tempt to reach the Greek
cue ship with 630 migrants overseeing immigration, fired, by attracting ever lions of Africans," Casado islands from the Turkish
on board after Malta and Magdalena Valerio, said higher numbers, and the said last month. coast, hoping to eventu-
Italy turned it away. earlier this week there government is increasingly Such criticism has left San- ally move to more pros-
Authorities gave those mi- would be no extra money wary of that criticism. chez politically exposed perous European Union
grants who arrived in Va- for migrant policies before The U.N. Migration Agency when he heads a minority countries.q