Illegal migratory flows to Spain have become the social and especially political debate of the week. The change of position of President Pedro Sánchez, in his temporary commitment to return to their country of origin the people who arrive massively and irregularly as a “dissuasive and strong message to the mafias”, has placed him in the target of criticism of all signs. Podemos has called him “racist” while, from the popular bench, it is assured that if this idea of generalized expulsion had been the idea of the PP, they would have already been labeled “xenophobic” by the government. In any case, the reality is that so far this year, a total of 3,369 people in an irregular situation have arrived on the coasts of Almería, Cádiz, Huelva and Málaga. This is what the Ministry of the Interior itself indicates in the latest balance sheet provided on August 15, from which it can be extracted that at the national level an increase of 66.2 percent has been recorded compared to the same period of 2023. If at that time the cumulative number was 18,745 people, now it is 31,155 people. 95 percent by sea. The data is devastating, although in Andalusia it implies a decrease in the volume of arrivals from one year to the next, given the change in the majority destination that, in recent months, has turned to the Canary Islands. The number of boats intercepted on the Andalusian coast has also been significantly lower than in previous years: 289 compared to 468. However, the truth is that people are made available to the police for a period of 48 to 72 hours and, “Except for cases subject to repatriation”, the majority “are offered a reception resource from the network of the State Secretariat for Immigration”. This is explained by Francisco Vicente, provincial coordinator of the Red Cross of Almeria, the institution that offers the most centres of this type in Andalusia. Its technicians are present at the reception of the boat to provide humanitarian aid. Regarding the protocol that is followed, Vicente specifies that “it depends on the nationality – on the coast of Almeria they are usually Moroccan or Algerian – and the personal situation of each person, there is no single model”. The police do their job of identification. If one of the people is claimed by their country, they return, but “most do not, because their intention is to stay. They do not say their origin and it is not usual for their countries to express themselves. After the time needed to recover from the trance, they usually leave to continue on their way, “which is not usually Almería”, he emphasizes. This is where the new problem begins. An expulsion order from the Spanish government weighs on them because they are in an irregular situation, which means that they cannot find work. “All they can hope for is to earn a living by relying on their network of contacts, because finding a job on a regular basis is not impossible, but almost”, he concludes insistently. Asylum seekers and those seeking international protection remain on the sidelines and, if approved, they obtain a work and residence permit, called a “red card”. This is what happens to Ukrainians fleeing the war with Russia. It is also a different consideration for a minor whose mother is already in Spain… Exceptions exist and are varied. The proof is these five stories that ABC was able to discover first-hand. Ahmed Rahmouni: from arriving in Andalusia by boat to serving the Red Cross with those who face the seaGilbert Bourk: living an odyssey so that no one experiences the same thingAlexandre and Silvana: Andalusia as an escape from extortionMouad Bouaaza: three days at sea on the brink of death for a happy reward Keboute Faty: from Senegal to Huelva cultivating hope
From irregular immigration to stability: the faces of the Andalusians “of the world”
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