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Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
 Posted - 06 Dec 2006 : 11:54:23
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quote:
Originally posted by njucks
Infact Serenata/SO this did not start this year. Africans have been crossing the Sahara to go to Europe since the 1960s. other dangerous routes included stowing away on merchant ships calling at the ports. occassionally you hear stories of people thrown over board by Russian crew etc.
there is a reason why people are heading for Spain. Spain recently issued a general amnesty to almost 1/2 million immigrants and they also have a law where if an illegal immigrant is detained after 40 days they have to be released or charged or deported. it is these legal loopholes that are being exploited by conmen making stupid promises to people who dont know what is waiting for them.
Njucks,
She is right. I have friends who died there and this was in 1969 when I just started teaching in Dakar.There are Gambians who got stranded in Mauritania and Morocco and are still there. It was then the seamen who came to the port in Dakar to find ships. They did what they did because of the ristrictions at the Habour at that time. My first journey to Las Palmas in 1970 was by boat from Dakar. Then it was a free port. No visas asked. Even the former seamen could tell you that they had no difficulties in entering other countries with a Gambia passport. Most of the seamen today are middleaged by now. |
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kiwi
Sweden
662 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2006 : 16:12:44
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A cayuco with 92 immigrants was discovered driving on the open sea sourth of Teneriffe by a merchant wessel on Tuesday. Due to hard winds and large seas the rescue operation was difficult and risky. Six of the immigrants were children.
Yesterday a cayuco brougt 36 immigrants, one was dead. Thirteen were transported to hospital.
I enclose the link I mentioned earlier, but note: in Swedish only!
Click the button ”Minderåriga”, there are a lot of pictures from a children camp. Enlarge the pictures by clicking on them. You may now someone!
http://www.teneriffaidag.com/aktuellt.html
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kiwi |
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serenata
Germany
1400 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2006 : 16:37:04
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Thank you, kiwi. Nice photos - I fear almost too nice. Don't get me wrong: I am very glad that the kids are well cared for, that, though many of them must feel terribly homesick, they look happy and healthy, attend school and live in a pleasant surrounding. But seeing these pictures people could forget about the many dead and feel encouraged to send their own children to Tenerife.
Why can't rich, fat Europe build more camps like these, why can't we have a certain annual quota which allows poor African children to come to Europe as long as they don't have a chance in Africa?  |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 07 Dec 2006 : 16:53:23
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quote:
Originally posted by serenata
Why can't rich, fat Europe build more camps like these, why can't we have a certain annual quota which allows poor African children to come to Europe as long as they don't have a chance in Africa?
i fear almost too nice. Dont get me wrong. - Really this is an African problem, sometimes things have to reach a certain level to kick start a change.
these kids are brave enough to make the life threating journey but even braver to live in a foreign country, so young, no spanish,so far from their parents.
ofcourse we must ask ourselves key question, 12yrs olds are no migrants, even if they are allowed in they will not work in the EU. no one will employ a 12yr old, atleast not in Spain. is Spain going to build 'orphanages' for them, or give them up for adoption etc. these are really serious issues.
i hope over time they will remember where they came from, their families, culture etc. |
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kiwi
Sweden
662 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2006 : 13:33:10
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You raised an important question, Njucks, so I sent an email to Helena, the lady living on Tenerife. Here is her answer:
The Spanish state is responsible for the children , but pratically it is organisations such as the Red Cross, Caritas, Oxfam, Mundo Nuevo and others which do the work untill they are 18. They are taught Spanish, how to swim, they move around among ”whites” and learn how the Spanish society works.
They go to shops, supermarkets, banks and so on together with those working in various organisations or with volunteers
They are not going to be adopted. Most of them have only few years left till they will be 18 and can start working.
On the Canary islands there still are about 900 children immigrants, most of them from Senegal but also from Gambia and other West African countries.
She finished her mail with saying If you, or your friends from Gambia have more questions, just ask.
The tv-team she guided and interpreted for were from Sweden. The one hour program (including sequenses from the children center) is to be broadcasted on SVT2 on Monday 11, at 20.00 local time (19.00 CET I think).
Some notes from her web page:
The newspaper El Dia has reported that a delegation from Senegal is to be sent to the Canary Island in order to identify children and send them back to their families. The action is supposed to be paid by the Spanish government.
In Spanish graveyards there are at least 328 Africans without names buried. Since 1998 the Canarias have buried 74. The graves are marked with numbers. They came without identity, they died without identity.
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2006 : 13:54:17
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thank you Kiwi for following it up.its very clear these people and the aid agencies know what they have to do and what they are doing.
i will watch the SVT program on monday and see.
if things go as reported these kids are being given the best opportunity to integrate and contribute to spainish society.
maybe the Social Services Department in The Gambia should also visit and arrange to return the very young ones back to thier family.
Also maybe gambians legally resident in spain who have become spainish nationals should come in and help.
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toubab
Gambia
92 Posts |
Posted - 10 Dec 2006 : 18:55:53
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| Well I must have been out in the sun too long!!! A while back Madonna was being savaged for wanting to adopt an Afican child - now its a better option to build camps for them in a foreign country, I really dont get this.............please enlighten me. |
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kiwi
Sweden
662 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2006 : 11:03:47
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| Does anyone want to know details of the broacasted tv program or are you tired of the topic? |
kiwi |
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njucks
Gambia
1131 Posts |
Posted - 12 Dec 2006 : 17:00:36
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Kiwi,
i think it looked like a good program ,i only understood the english/french bits and thus i cant have an opinion. maybe you can say what was said in swedish?
it looked balanced, am i wrong??
the program can be watched at SVT by clicking on the
(Pärleporten - om massflykten från Afrika till Europa)on the top right
http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=2300&lid=20061211&lpos=SVT2_2000_sitelink&from=tabla
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Edited by - njucks on 12 Dec 2006 17:00:56 |
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kiwi
Sweden
662 Posts |
Posted - 14 Dec 2006 : 22:21:01
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The documentary was not particularly about children but African immigration in general.
A lot were said in Swedish, can´t remember everything but here are some fragments:
(My translation may not be the best but I did my best.)
In Senegal there is a webb site circulating presenting the illegal crossing as a tourist trip. In order to attract passengers they make a lot of false statements about the treatment in Europe, the youngest can expect all the best. Contrary to Western media the risk is non-existent if following the safety regulation on board.
(I checked the webb site but couldn´t find the statements.)
A person who obviously made arrangements claims that only 3 persons have lost their lives. Other sources says that 1/5 don´t make the crossing alive.
More and more families invest everything they own in order to send their sons away to the Canary Islands, the mothers are those who plan everything. They start corporations, save 5000 CFA a week, when they have 500.000 they give it to someone and send a son away.
This is one of our days largest migrations.
This year has the route Dakar – the Canaries been the most popular. African fishing vessels with mummified bodies have been found outside the Barbados. Boats that are not off course or get wrecked are catched by the Spanish coastguards and are taken to the some of the nearest harbours where authorities and different organisations take care of them. In the midst of curious tourists, they are led to land dehydrated, chilled and sometimes sick. Some are brought to land as corpses.
One of them who made it, aged 17, says ”It is a big responsibility, money that I was given (500.000 CFA) was to bring me here. It took 2-3 years to save the amount, I will work and fight for my family, I want to make my mother pleased. I have given her a promise.”
During 2006 about 30.000 immigrants have come to the Canaries, more and more are children arriving without adults. They are taken care of in quickly built centres that are overcrowded. Many of them get disappointed when they realize that they are too young to be allowed to work.
Little Samba is from Senegal (I mentioned him earlier) . ”I´m going to do cleaning. Clean and sell things”, he says. He is twelve, at the most! When thinking about his lost brother, and father and mother at home, though trying hard to be brave, he can´t stop his tears rolling down.
The crossing tend to become longer and more dangerous. The cheapest route crosses Sahara. The one who rolls off the overcrowded trucks remains in the dessert, those involved in human trafficking don´t wait for anybody. (Watch the video, no words are needed!) Then, in Libya, they wait for the opportunity , there are currently 2 millions illegal immigrants according to the government of Libya.
During 2005, Melilla and Ceuta were the most common gates between Africa and EU. After a couple of incidents when several immigrants were shot dead by frontier police , EU demanded the African nations to stop the immigrants. There still are thousands of them behind the fence waiting for the opportunity.
4700 immigrants arrived to the Canaries 2005, 25.000 arrived 2006 during the first nine months. As many have arrived to the Spanish mainland, 15.000 to Italy. Malta, Greece and Cyprus have received many, Greece has deported nearly 30.000.
”Nobody can control Africa´s borders”, says president Wade. ”The French try to solve the problem there, but it has to be solved in Africa”, he continued. (He didn´t offer any solution.)
Forum, a Swedish organization: The difference between being rich or poor is grotesque. You seek a reasonable life, if you can´t find it where you live, if there is no hope for a better future in a life time, you try to go to somewhere else.
9 of 10 in the immigration camps in Europe are let out after 40-60 days depending on which country they arrived to. They can be sent back only if their country of origin can be proved. That is well-known by the immigrants so they don´t bring any documents.
Money sent by immigrants to their families, reaching the poorest villages, means an enormous income for the African countries. To Senegal it means 3 times as much as the whole development aid given by EU. The immigrants send 5-10 billions euro to Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya every year.
Bajugu is on one them given amnesty last year, he is now legal, works and pays taxes. At the same time he provides for his family in Senegal, he sends money every month, it´s important to him.
It´s not as simple as that all Africans would be unwelcome, on the contrary, the immigrants have strongly contributed to the development and economical growth in EU. Within EU there are a lot of short time working permits within agribusiness, even for those without papers.
The city of Manchester have more educated Malawian nurses and doctors than Malawi itself. A shocking example of brain drain, said an EU spokesman .
In the year 2020 there will be a shortage of 20 million on labour market and 2050 of 50 million, due to ageing population. It is in our interest to make immigration more businesslike and coherent, he said further.
Due to amnesty in Spain last year the amount of illegal immigrants is increasing. EU invest in more resources to patrol the shared borders. Frontex watches EU`s southern borders, but also Africa´s shores.
EU and AU try to agree on a plan of action. Both sides say they are willing to stop the flow of illegal immigrants. How much money is EU going to reserve to create jobs and growth in Africa? In what extent will Africans be allowed to work and study legally?
EU has given money to North and West Africa to make it possible for them to stop the outflow of illegal immigrants. Some human rights watchers have criticized EU for letting the work to be done by countries that not respect human rights.
Mothers in Senegal, who lost their sons are united in a fight in order to stop the boats. They watch Senegal´s shores during the nights determined to stop the illegal departures.
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kiwi |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 15 Dec 2006 : 01:39:45
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quote:
Originally posted by njucks
Kiwi,
i think it looked like a good program ,i only understood the english/french bits and thus i cant have an opinion. maybe you can say what was said in swedish?
it looked balanced, am i wrong??
the program can be watched at SVT by clicking on the
(Pärleporten - om massflykten från Afrika till Europa)on the top right
http://svt.se/svt/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=2300&lid=20061211&lpos=SVT2_2000_sitelink&from=tabla
This video is very powerful. This video should be played on all western african TV station. Dead bodies all over.
This is sickening  |
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kiwi
Sweden
662 Posts |
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Eve
Gambia
344 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2006 : 11:53:38
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This is 2 bad guys
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gambian |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 16 Dec 2006 : 12:37:58
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The EU needs to rethink its trade and immigration policies and adopt more a more ethical strategy. In regards to Brain Drain and aged European policy such fortress Europe focus approaches are unsustainable in the long-term. How can African countries possible monitor their large coastlines without sufficient technology and funding to do so? The heart of the matter is job creation in African countries to pursuade people to stay in their countries as remarked in the program most immigrants would prefer to stay at home but are forced to risk their lives in serach for a better life for themselves and their families. Until WTO and other organisations address these matters the trend will remain the same.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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kiwi
Sweden
662 Posts |
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| Bantaba in Cyberspace |
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