Recomposing Migratory Pathways in the Mediterranean Face to Europe's Repressive Policies: Associative Support for Refugees in Andalucia and Canary Islands

October 6 2023 - The presidents of the 27 countries of the European Union are meeting in Granada (Spain) to seal a new migration pact that aims to "address irregular immigration immediately and decisively and intensify the return of irregular migrants" (Le Monde). The same day in the same country, on the small island of El Hierro, at least 908 migrants arrive on makeshift boats in Canary Islands.

The closure of Europe by Greece and Turkey and the repressive policy of Italy have contributed in recent years to remove sea crossings to the western part of the Mediterranean from Morocco and Algeria. In 2018 Spain became the first country of arrival for migrants in the Mediterranean with 64,000 entries. In this year Andalusia saw 28,000 migrants arrive on its coasts, which raised mobilizations from associations and citizens face to humanitarian emergency and saturation of reception centers. In 2023, nearly 57,000 migrants arrived in Spain, which represents an increase of 82% compared to 2022. These arrivals are concentrated in Canary Islands due to the readmission agreements with Morocco and the increased surveillance of the Andalusian coasts. This new maritime way is more perilous and more deadly: according to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, more than 11,200 migrants have died or disappeared since 2018 trying to reach Spain, an average of six people per day. My communication aims to show how the repressive migration policies implemented by European Union contribute to reshaping migration pathways in the Mediterranean by forcing refugees to take longer and more dangerous ways. From observations based on my fieldwork in the city of Granada and the Canarias Islands, I will also describe how associations and citizen groups experiment local solidarity practices to face the migratory emergency and to compensate the inadequacies of institutional reception.