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Morocco World
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Report: Mauritania Becomes Main Departure Point for Spain-Bound Migrants in 2024
Doha – Spain's annual Security Report shows Mauritania has become the main launch point for irregular migrants heading to Spanish shores in 2024. The North African country recorded over 25,000 departures, exceeding the combined total from Morocco and Algeria. According to the 2024 National Security Report published by Spain's Department of National Security, Mauritania accounted for 25,081 migrants who arrived in Spain. This number surpasses the combined figures from Morocco (13,217) and Algeria (12,038). The document identifies 2024 as a record year for maritime arrivals to Spain, with 61,372 migrants entering Spanish territory irregularly by sea. This marks a 10.3% rise from 2023 and tops the previous record established in 2018. Role of geopolitical pressure The report points directly to regional instability as a driving factor. 'The instability in the Sahel impacts especially in the case of Mauritania, which borders Mali and where the Russian presence is pronounced,' it states. This geopolitical pressure has made Mauritania a critical migration hub. Similarly, the report mentions that 'routes through Niger have regained their importance and Agadez has resumed its former role as a migration hub,' keeping the Algerian route active despite increased controls elsewhere. Notably, the Canary Islands witnessed a 17.4% increase in arrivals, totaling 46,843 migrants. The Balearic Islands experienced an even more dramatic surge of 158.3%, with 5,882 arrivals. Both statistics establish new historical records. The Atlantic route to the Canary Islands gained popularity with an 18% growth in arrivals, while the Western Mediterranean route declined by 6%. Spanish authorities link this shift to 'partial closure of departures' on the Central Mediterranean route through Libya and Tunisia. Changing profile of arriving migrants Mali has emerged as the primary country of origin among irregular migrants landing in Spain. The number of Malian migrants grew by 543% between 2023 and 2024, climbing from fifth place to first. The report attributes this to Mali's structural economic decline and mounting instability. The profile of migrants arriving in Spain has changed noticeably. Once dominated by North Africans, particularly Moroccans, now 72% of arrivals come from sub-Saharan countries, up from 62% in 2023. The report specifically counts 15,261 Malians, 11,824 Senegalese, 9,552 Algerians, and 6,945 Moroccans. The report also notes growing numbers of asylum seekers among irregular migrants from the Sahel region. This pattern, coupled with extended stays, has caused saturation of both the international protection and humanitarian care systems. Spanish authorities warn that migration pressure could intensify in the future, citing resource scarcity in origin countries and 'deliberate efforts by agents hostile to the EU' to weaponize migration. Meanwhile, Morocco halted 78,685 irregular migration attempts in 2024, according to the country's Ministry of Interior. Most intercepted individuals (58%) originated from West Africa, while 12% came from Maghreb countries and 9% from East and Central Africa. Moroccan authorities dismantled 332 human trafficking networks during the year. They also handled 14 attempts to breach the borders of Ceuta and Melilla involving more than 4,290 migrants. At sea, 18,645 migrants were rescued by Moroccan forces. The Ministry stated that 6,135 migrants returned voluntarily to their home countries through coordination with their respective embassies, aligned with Morocco's National Immigration and Asylum Strategy. Read also: Spain Allocates €2.5 Million to Morocco for Migration Control Tags: irregular immigrationirregular migration to Spain
Epoch Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Russia–Ukraine Conflict Is Jeopardizing Some of the World's Most Fertile Soil
Bombs, landmines, and other explosive devices in Ukraine are killing some of the world's most valuable soil, creating hazards, and releasing high levels of dangerous and pervasive pollution that experts warn could leave the region permanently damaged. 'The big problem right now is contamination; it's landmines. It's just one massive landmine,' Olena Lennon, adjunct professor and practitioner in residence at the University of New Haven's Department of National Security, told The Epoch Times. 'The more urgent question is who will fund and control the demining efforts in that area.' She pointed to estimates that it could take more than 750 A Mine Action Review Both Ukraine and Russia are responsible for mining the entire region with explosives that include cluster munitions and anti-personnel devices, which U.S. President Joe Biden sent to Ukraine last year. Beyond the danger of unexploded ordnance, land contamination is also a concern from the munitions, as studies have shown adverse long-term consequences on soil health, even after the war ends. Related Stories 7/1/2022 2/19/2024 Millions of small farmers are impacted by heavy fighting on Ukraine's Eastern border, and some are describing the effects of the conflict as complete and utter devastation for the country's agricultural industry, with more than 20 percent of Ukraine's arable land directly impacted. Agricultural land in Ukraine contains about 30 percent of the world's black soil—the nutrient-rich topsoil with high-quality composition that allows for superior water retention—and its fertility is the reason the nation is nicknamed the 'breadbasket of Europe.' 'This is very attractive land, some of the most fertile,' Frederic Mousseau, policy director at the Oakland Institute—a social, economic, and environmental policy think tank—told The Epoch Times. 'So, it makes Ukraine a very promising investment for those who want to create agricultural products and export them.' Famous for its highly productive soil—known to locals as chernozem—Ukraine contains between 62 million and 74 million acres of high-quality arable land, accounting for about one-third of all such territory in Europe, according to World Bank Formed over thousands of years, Ukraine's prized soil includes a delicately balanced microbiome and nutritional profile that are threatened by the war. Most of the black soil is in Eastern Ukraine, which is heavily impacted by the war with Russia, with maps showing landmines littering the area. According to studies from Ukraine's Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry Research, bombing and impacts from artillery shells disturb fertile topsoil by displacing soil layers and contributing to erosion. Ukrainian mine experts scan for unexploded ordnance and landmines by the main road to Kherson, Ukraine, on Nov. 16, 2022. Murad Sezer/Reuters Contamination from exploded and unexploded ordnance includes toxic heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, and mercury, among others. All of which create potential health concerns and reduce plantable space. 'The well-being of the soil translates directly into the well-being of the people,' Lennon said. The years-long conflict with Russia is threatening the fecundity of the region, and some are expressing concern that the destruction is so widespread, recovery will be challenging and lengthy, with the repatriation of farmers displaced by the fighting a daunting prospect. 'With all the war-induced damage ... the levels of contamination are beyond repair in some ways,' Lennon said. 'It's going to be very difficult because even if farmers are willing to return, they're not going to be able to operate in the same mode.' Finding a solution that restores the region to its pre-war state is challenging, she said. 'Whoever gets to control it, the problem is that it doesn't really matter, because you can't really throw money at the problem. There are high-level political resolution aspects that are not in place yet, and even a peace agreement would not resolve it,' Lennon said. 'I think even if they were to sign a cease-fire, it would not necessarily make those soils accessible, or productive, or profitable because of how deeply contaminated it is.' Before the war began in 2022, Ukrainian farmers harvested approximately 80 million metric tons of grain annually. In recent years, the total has fallen by about Approximately 18 percent of Ukraine's territory, amounting to approximately 46,000 square miles and including about 22 million acres of farmland, is now under Russian control, according to Ukraine and Russia view agriculture as vital to their national security, with control of the black soil seen as a valuable geopolitical asset. Russia is expanding its wheat production and trade, recently
