Spain: police dismantle Senegalese migrant smuggling
Spanish police have dismantled a network that organized the trafficking of Senegalese migrants who posed as minors. This network made it possible to bring them illegally into Spanish territory, and therefore into the European Union. In total, twelve people were arrested.
When landing in Madrid, these Senegalese migrants did not take the connection and tore up their passports. (Illustrative image) © REUTERS - SUSANA VERA
By: RFI Follow
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With our correspondent in Madrid
,
François Musseau
The system was well-oiled and, until the time of the police arrests, worked wonderfully. Initially, the organizers of this sophisticated network put Senegalese adults on Royal Air Maroc planes leaving from Dakar and going to Casablanca, Morocco.
These passengers were then given plane tickets to South American countries with transit in Madrid. However, when landing in the Spanish capital, these Senegalese migrants did not take the connection. They tore up their respective passports, then claimed at customs to come from countries in conflict like Mali or Ethiopia. They also claimed to be minors; which allowed them to be transferred to reception centers for migrants.
And since these centers were open, they ended their asylum request. For money, they were taken by the network organizers to bus or train stations, or even directly to France, Germany or Belgium.
Also read: The Canaries: the deadliest migratory route to Europe
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