Europe News
Illegal immigration to Spain fell in 2010, says government
Jan 18, 2011, 14:33 GMT
Madrid - The number of undocumented immigrants arriving in Spain by boat fell by half - to 3,632 detained persons - in 2010, Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said Tuesday.
Arrivals in the Canary Islands - the most popular route for African illegal immigration in recent years - dropped by about 90 per cent to only 196 people, the minister said.
The number of people crossing over clandestinely from Africa have declined by 80 per cent in a decade, according to figures given by Rubalcaba, while the numbers of migrants trying to enter illegally by road or air also went down in 2010.
Additionally, the number of people who were barred entry at border posts declined to 9,453, from 12,226, in 2009.
Rubalcaba attributed the decline to the increase of border police and to police cooperation with Morocco and Algeria. Analysts also link it with Spain's economic crisis, which has deterred people hoping to find work.
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