Spain's Immigration Problem: Out of Which Comes a Story About Princesa
Over the past few months, the U.S. has had a burgeoning immigration problem with the migrant children crossing the American frontiers. Now in Europe, specifically Spain, they are having their own immigration issues as well. Out of all these immigration problems perhaps comes a story of hope about a princess.
Spain's immigration problems stems from over 1,000 migrants coming from Northern Africa, crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, and landing in European territories, mainly in Spain. Out of the deluge of migrants that have arrived in Spain comes a story about a little girl who was saved by rescuers but also by a small city in Spain.
Over a week now this mass exodus of migrants mainly from North African territories is turning out to be bigger than perhaps the U.S. immigration problem. Spain's coast guard has already picked up 1,200 migrants, and 600 have already climbed the barbed wire fences trying desperately to come into the Spanish enclaves of Melilla and Ceuta, both cities are located on the north coast of Africa, Miami Herald reported.
These cities, among other European cities, are proving to be short distances from Africa and its enclaves. Perhaps it means that Spain is the No.1 destination for African migrants. Another European country affected by the migrant flow is Italy; that country's navy has stopped more than 2,000 migrants, Miami Herald reported.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, it has been estimated that 75,000 migrants have been trying to cross the Mediterranean sea from North Africa since January of this year. The migrants have also landed in Greece, and Malta, Miami Herald reported.
Some critics are suggesting that this mass exodus when compared to the U.S.'s migrant issues it is minuscule. In the U.S. from October 2013 to mid-June 2014, there have been 52,000 unaccompanied children coming from Honduras, and other Central American countries into America.
However for Spain the country's coast guard has claimed that this summer has been the worst mass exodus to date. They believe that it has something to do with calmer seas and negligent policing by authorities in Morocco, Miami Herald reported. Morocco appears to be the area in which migrants are using as their launching area into Spain.
The other reason why people are fleeing that region, as well as the Middle East, is because of violence.
Also included in the numbers of migrants coming into Spain are children. Approximately 10,500 children are unaccompanied or separated from their families. The children, as well as their families, have been using less than seaworthy ships, and getting help from smugglers, Yahoo! News reported. The number of people trying to get into Europe crossing the Mediterranean is 60 percent higher than all of 2013.
Enter the Princess. Off the coast of Spain, a 10-month-old baby girl was found abandoned on an inflatable refugee boat. It was reported that her Red Cross rescuers had affectionately named her "Princesa" which is Spanish for Princess. Since writing this article, Princesa's parents have not been found.
Princesa was found in one of 94 inflatable boats that had reached the Spanish coast, The Daily Mail reported. She was found shaking with a high temperature, and she had to be wrapped in blankets. The boat that she was found in had departed from Morocco, then it was intercepted while on its way to Tarifa, Spain. Tarifa is Spain's southernmost port.
The 10-month-old Princesa was fed with two bottles, and she drank them both.
Princesa got separated from her family when a reported incident occurred between the girl's parents and the Moroccan police. The incident prevented Princesa's parents from boarding. All of this happened before Princesa's tiny boat had departed, The Daily Mail reported.
As of now, Princesa is in under the care and custody of the government of the Spanish region of Andalucia. The government there is hoping that her parents will contact them, The Daily Mail reported. It is expected however that she could be transferred to a refugee center.
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