Spain’s leader starts West Africa tour with agreements to combat people smuggling

Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s prime minister has announced a series of agreements with the West African nation of Mauritania to stem a surge in migrants making the dangerous Atlantic journey to the Canary Islands. Speaking Tuesday alongside Mauritania’s president, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain will expand its circular migration program to Mauritanians and renew cooperation between the two nations’ security forces to combat people smuggling and trafficking networks. Spain’s Canary Islands lie close to the African coast. Spain’s Interior Ministry says more than 22,000 people have landed in the archipelago since January. That’s more than double the number for the same period last year. Sánchez is on a three-day tour of West Africa to reinforce relations with Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal.