Madrid to host migration meeting later this month

Sep 1, 2006, 14:22 GMT

Madrid/Canary Islands - Spain will host a meeting of countries forming the European Union's southern frontier to tighten maritime controls against illegal immigration before the end of the month, Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega announced Friday.

Interior and defence ministers from Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia were to attend the meeting in Madrid.

Vega proposed the meeting during a recent visit to Finland, which holds the rotating EU presidency, in an attempt to boost EU cooperation against the influx of would-be immigrants landing on the Canary Islands.

More than 400 migrants landed Friday on the islands, including a group of 86, three of whom died during the crossing from West Africa.

Rescuers saved the survivors from a boat which was adrift and leaking nearly 90 kilometres south of El Hierro Island.

The weakest of the immigrants were flown to Tenerife, while the others arrived by boat to El Hierro.

Nine immigrants were hospitalized for symptoms including hypothermia and dehydration. Several were listed in serious condition.

The deaths followed the drowning of at least 84 mainly Senegalese and Gambian migrants off Mauritania over the weekend. Hundreds, possibly thousands of Africans are believed to have died while attempting to reach the Canaries this year.

The Canary Islands have received more than 19,000 Africans this year.

Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said migratory pressure was not likely to ease in the near future and described illegal immigration as a 'peaceful rebellion against the poverty in Africa.'