Frontex report Illegal border crossings to Spain from northern Africa hit a new record high

According to a recent report by Frontex, whilst illegal border crossings in the Eastern Mediterranean eased in 2017, the number of migrants detected reaching Spain from northern Africa hit a new record high of nearly 22 900. This was more than double the previous record set in 2016.
The situation in the Rif region of Morocco, the main transit country for migrants heading to Spain, created an opportunity for more departures from its western coast in the second half of the year. This was coupled with a growing use of high-capacity boats capable of transporting large numbers of migrants.
Almost 40% of the migrants were nationals of Algeria and Morocco, whose numbers have been on the rise since the middle of 2017. Most of the remaining migrants on this route came from Western Africa.
Dr. Tunji Asaolu, Chairperson of the Social Affairs and Health Cluster Committee of the African Union-Economic, Social and Cultural Council will deliver an opening keynote address highlighting some of the challenges facing African countries, whilst Rasa Ostrauskaite, Director of the Transnational Threats Department of the OSCE, will give address key issues and threats to the region.
The challenges posed by the rise in irregular migrants in the Western Mediterranean make this year’s WBSC more pertinent and timely than ever.
The OSCE will also be hosting one of the Closed Agency Workshops addressing this issue ‘Challenges in the Mediterranean' looking at how the multiple challenges faced by authorities in the Mediterranean being tackled and how the use of ‘risk analysis capacities’ help meet the challenges.
AU-ECOSOCC Workshop – “Migration - Creating Opportunities for Young People In Africa”
As part of the drive to enhance the collaboration in developing solutions for the challenges in Africa, the Social Affairs and Health Cluster Committee in conjunction with Committee on Political Affairs of the AU-ECOSOCC, will be hosting a Workshop on the margins of the Congress to understudy the situation and proffer necessary solutions that will address the issues of Migration in Africa.
For further details visit www.world-border-congress.com/au-ecosocc-workshop
Other Speakers include:
– Major Michael Jones, Chief Operations Officer and Acting Executive Director, IMPACS Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC)
– Antonio Doblas Jimenez, Lieutenant Colonel Head of the National Coordination Centre-EUROSUR Spain
– Gregor Pelzl, Head of Coordination Office for Migration and PNR, German Federal Police
– Bjorn Clarberg, Team Leader, Border Management and Migration Team, EUBAM Libya
– Rasa Ostrauskaite, Director, Transnational Threats Department, OSCE
– Myria Vassiliadou, EU Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, European Commission
– Florian Forster, Head, Immigration and Border Management (IBM), Department of Migration Management (DMM), International Organization for Migration
– BG Col. Sławomir Markowski, Head of Unit for Border Infrastructure and Information, Border Management Department, Polish Border Guard HQ
– Babatunde Olomu, Assistant Comptroller of customs, Nigeria Customs Service
– James Shaw, Senior Legal Officer, United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)
– Alket Furxhiu, Director General, Central Bureau of Investigation, Albania
– Justice Amevor, Assistant Commissioner Immigration, Ghana Immigration
– Dr Enrique Belda, Deputy Director General of Information Systems and Communications for Security Secretary of State for Security, Ministry of Interior, Spain
– Jim Nye, Alliance Operations Commander, Devon & Cornwall Police, UK
– Florian Forster, Head, Immigration and Border Management (IBM), Department of Migration Management (DMM), International Organization for Migration (IOM)
– Lasma Stabina, National Anti-Trafficking Coordinator, Ministry of the Interior, Latvia
World Border Security Congress will be held in Madrid, Spain from the 20-22 March 2018.
The World Border Security Congress is a high level 3-day event that will discuss and debate current and future policies, implementation issues and challenges as well as new and developing technologies that contribute towards safe and secure border and migration management.

For the full Congress programme, speakers and more details about the event visit http://world-border-congress.com/

The World Border Security Congress, organized by the Torch Marketing and KNM Media, will take place from 20th to 22nd March 2018 in Madrid, Spain.

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This release was published on openPR.