Spanish TV ads seek to deter boat people


Mike Elkin
Thursday September 20, 2007
The Guardian

The Spanish government has added emotional television adverts to its arsenal of measures to combat illegal immigration from Africa. Starting on Wednesday in Senegal, a €1m (£698,000) media campaign will aim to discourage locals seeking a better life in Europe from attempting the dangerous 12-day ocean voyage to the Canary Islands.

"My son left ... and we haven't heard from him in eight months," a distraught Senegalese woman says in the television spot. "You can see that I am ill ... my only hope, after God, is my son."

The advert then cuts to a boy lying face-down on the rocks, apparently drowned. "You already know how this story ends," continues Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour. "Thousands of destroyed families. Don't risk your life for nothing. You are the future of Africa."

Created by the Spanish government and the International Organisation for Migration, the campaign complements diplomatic efforts to curb illegal immigration. In the past two years Spain has signed cooperation and repatriation agreements with Algeria, Morocco, Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea, Mali and Ghana.

Between January and August 6,659 Africans landed in the Canaries, a 66% decrease from the same period last year. But 2006 was a record year for the immigrant boats, fishing canoes known as cayucos. Officials list 31,678 people reaching the Canaries, against 4,767 in 2005. The number of deaths during the voyages is unknown because it is rarely known how many people embark.

This month 10 people drowned off Gran Canaria when a boat struck rocks close to shore. In July about 50 people drowned when a boat capsized. Last December the Red Cross reported that 80 people drowned when a cayuco sank off Senegal.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/spain/article ... ss&feed=12