The Canary Islands have received a wave of immigrants landing on its beach after an arduous crossing from North-West Africa this year.

Consequently the Islands authorities have beseeched the Central Government in Madrid to handle some of the load as their facilities are already swamped.

Some autonomous regions in the country run under a right-wing government have baulked at receiving a quota; some because they already are close to saturation and others for ideological reasons.

Many of these immigrants from the Canary Islands are to be housed in public and private buildings as a temporary measure, amongst them, a hotel in Axarquia (Málaga).

The hotel in question is Hotel Urban Beach in El Morche, in Torrox-Costa. It is a 4-star establishment through which 385 male immigrants have passed between October and this week. The majority are from Senegal and the rest are from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, amongst others.

Each immigrant’s case is examined individually; some will be sent back, others (some claiming international protection) will be allowed to stay and prepared for their new life, explained a representative of Cruz Roja, who also explained that the long sea crossing in an open boat is an extraordinary and desperate measure and that it is not known just how many don’t make it.

Cruz Roja also pointed out that despite the controversy generated in the first moments because of comments by the conservative Councillor for Culture and Popular Traditions, Salvador Escudero, the passage of these 385 immigrants through the hotel facilities has been “pacific” and “without incidents.”

The comments made by the said councillor on local radio likened the immigrants to animals, stating, “We don’t know whether they are going to steal a car; it’s like a time bomb.”

Cruz Roja pointed out that the last thing that these immigrants want is to cause conflict – that’s what they fled from in many cases.

(News/Noticias: Torrox-Costa, Axarquia, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Andalucia – Photo: E.Cabezas)