The southern border of the Union

Much to my surprise, many Europeans* seem blissfully unaware of the constant flow of illegal African immigrants that every month try to reach the coasts of the Canary Islands, southern Spain or Malta. In overcrowded crumbling rowboats, with heavily pregnant women and sometimes even children, they try to make it into the European Union, hoping to find better lives there.

Levels of illegal immigration to the Canary Islands alone dropped to 13,424 last year, down from a peak of nearly 32,000 in 2006. Authorities in southern European nations are still struggling however, to patrol for, care for, to process and repatriate this continuing flow of immigrants.

The Big Picture published yesterday a moving collection of pictures that illustrate the issue. For the Spaniards in my (teeny weeny) audience, these images are nothing new. For the rest of you, enjoy: African Immigration to Europe – The Big Picture

* I suspect most North Americans are unaware of this problem too. But they have their own southern border to worry about.