• Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is welcomed by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
    Africa Politics

    Sánchez visits Africa, declares new strategy for Spain on migration

    European Newsdesk Posted on

    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced that Spain will embark on a new strategy to strengthen relations with Africa, particularly focusing on West Africa and the Sahel, which will be designated as priority regions.

    As part of this initiative, Spain will sign a series of partnership agreements with The Gambia to address the rising number of migrants arriving in the Canary Islands from West Africa.

    “Our countries will sign a memorandum of understanding on circular migration. This new initiative aims to facilitate safe, orderly, and regular migration that benefits both our countries and our citizens,” Sánchez stated during a press conference alongside Gambia’s Defence Minister, Sering Modou Njie.

    Sánchez’s visit to The Gambia is part of a three-day tour of West Africa, where he aims to strengthen bilateral relations with Mauritania, Gambia, and Senegal.

    These three coastal nations have become the main departure points for migrants attempting to reach the Canary Islands, where over 22,000 people have arrived since January, according to Spain’s interior ministry. Sánchez emphasized that migration, while not inherently a problem, presents challenges that need to be addressed.

    Beginning his tour in Mauritania on Tuesday, Sánchez announced that Spain would renew cooperation with Mauritanian security forces to combat human smuggling.

    “Despite the rhetoric growing in Europe, migration is not a problem,” Sánchez said in Mauritania, acknowledging the necessity of migrant workers for Spain’s aging society.

    “It is a necessity that comes with certain challenges, and we must pursue approaches that allow us to manage migration humanely, safely, and orderly, to the benefit of our societies.”

    He added that migration is fundamentally about “moral principles, solidarity, and dignity,” and clarified that the goal is not to stop migration entirely, but to regulate it more effectively. Sánchez is scheduled to meet with Senegalese leaders on Thursday.

    Among those migrating to the Canary Islands are thousands of Malian refugees escaping violence and instability in the Sahel, as well as young people from Senegal, Mauritania, and other West African nations seeking better job opportunities abroad.

    The increasing number of teenagers and children traveling alone to the Canary Islands has overwhelmed local authorities responsible for their care.

    According to the UN’s migration agency, over 4,000 Gambians reached Europe via the dangerous Atlantic route last year.

    Just last month, a boat carrying 300 migrants, mostly from Gambia and Senegal, capsized off the coast of Mauritania. More than a dozen people died, and at least 150 others went missing.

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