Vaughters 1

Jacob Vaughters
English 3 (honors)
7 May 2015
West African Immigration to Spain
When immigration comes to mind, many do not consider the
immigrants effect of their arrival in another country on the economy or
unemployment. When taking a close look at the immigration of West Africans
to Spain, a perfect example arises. With surges of West Africans from
Morocco to New Guinea migrating to Spain, many problems begin to arise
that are overlooked by the people behind the refugees seeking a better life.
This rush of migrants has taken Spains economic status into the ground. The
already floundering country will only be dug a deeper hole if this immigration
issue cannot be controlled and managed. So what is to be done about the
issue, and can it be controlled? The migration of these Africans is causing
unemployment rates and the economy to deteriorate.
There is no doubt that West African immigrants have good reason to be
leaving their countries. With all the political and economic catastrophes
happening in that region many are in poverty, and war has plagued many
countries in that area. Many seek a new life in Spain, but they do not know
the effect they are having on Spains economy. An economic boom in the
early 2000s brought many immigrants to Spain to find jobs, but in recent
times the tides have turned for the worst and the economy as long as the
unemployment is continuously getting worse (Frayer,Flood Of Desperate

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Refugees..). General unemployment is at 26 percent (Frayer, Flood Of
Desperate Refugees..). For people in their 20s, it is at 50 percent, and this
is detrimental for the Spaniards (Frayer, Migrants at the Border of Spain).
Many college graduates are competing for unskilled jobs like restaurant work
and construction; jobs that only a few years ago they would have been overqualified for (Frayer,Migrants Test the patience of Border Guards). One
Spanish border guard states, My heart goes out to those fleeing war and
poverty, but I also worry whether the local economy can absorb them
(Frayer,Migrants at the Border of Spain). Many have this same thought;
there is sympathy for the immigrants, but there is not sufficient space or
work available for them in Spain.
Immigrants will often do anything in their power to get into Spain.
Many of these refugees are found swimming while others will pay smugglers
to hide them in the back of their trucks (Frayer, Migrants at the Border of
Spain). Often times these immigrants are spending nearly 2 years traveling
from their destroyed homes and massive poverty sometimes just to get sent
back home. Some even get robbed in the process and are forced alternatives
like swimming. Those who attempt to swim across the waters of the Strait of
Gibraltar often drown from their journey (Schemm). Mohamed Ba an
immigrant who swam the Strait says, Nine hours in the water I was
hungry! (Frayer, Flood of Desperate Refugees...). Others make it by ship
and show up to the border met by a well guarded fence. If by some miracle
they make it over, if proved to be Moroccan they are immediately deported

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due to a recent border treaty with Morocco. Others refuse to speak and
destroy their identities so their origin is unknown and they cannot be
deported. Many pregnant women are also found on the shores of Spain
because of an important immigration law, the law states that if a baby is
born on Spanish soil, then the child has residency rights. The mother cannot
be deported without her child (Frayer Flood of Desperate Refugees). This
constant immigration is destroying Spanish economy because of all the new
people seeking jobs to support their families.
So what happens when and if the immigrants make it through? Well,
once through and seen by a medical assistant, they are sent to asylum
centers which are mostly packed beyond capacity. In one extreme, a facility
had 500 beds and has 1,200 temporary residents ( Frayer, Migrants test the
Patience of Border Guards). Lots of money is being poured into trying to
help the immigrants in Spain, yet the government has been reported to have
spent 30 times more on border enforcement than on helping refugees
(Frayer,Migrants Test the Patience of Border Guards). This recent influx of
immigrants has been a drastic increase from 7,472 in 2013 to 12,459 in 2014
a near 70% increase in just a year (Daily Patriot). A record 500 people made
it over on March 18th 2014 (Schemm).This is beginning to overpopulate
Spains facilities and is causing massive declines in their already declining
economy.

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Through all this debate it is fair to ask, what defense do the immigrants
have? Many of them come from extremely economically unsound countries
ridden with war and poverty. Mohamed Ba says I only have my mom and
two younger sisters. I want to give them food and help them
(Frayer,Migrants at the Border of Spain). Many have no choice but to
leave their home countries and seek better lives in other countries like Italy
and Spain. When I think of the place I left behind, I cannot go back to go
back empty handed after all this? Not possible(Schemm).Even once they
make it through it is a rough road ahead of them. Many have to wait months
in asylums just to get a temporary visa and proper work permits (Frayer,A
Surge of Desperate Migrants). Most of them arrive without any
documents, and that is the biggest problem they face (Frayer, A Surge of
Desperate Migrants). Without documents, they have no identity.
Immigrants must go through the process of being identified before they can
apply for a temporary visa, and even after that it can take months to get a
proper work permit (Frayer, Migrants Test the Patience of Border Guards).
They cannot help that they are causing economic issues in Spain because
they are leaving countries that have it much worse and have no choice but
to try and find jobs elsewhere.
This flood of immigrants needs to be managed and cannot keep going
at the rate it is going. The economic decline and lack of jobs available has to
be stopped for the sake of Spains economy. Spains flow of immigrants will
not lessen until gross economic issues between Europe and Spain are

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resolved (Daily Patriot). This is a very difficult task considering the economic
depression currently affecting most of Europe. Spain has called upon many
other European countries to help in reducing the amount of immigrants
coming into Spain. It has been deemed very difficult to manage the border
crossings because of Europes questionable immigration policies (Daily
Patriot). The way Spain is handling it by spending loads of money on border
reinforcement is not helping their economy nor is it helping the immigrants.
Spain needs to spend more money on distributing the immigrants throughout
Europe instead of holding them in overpopulated facilities awaiting visas.
Many are dying out in waters of the Strait of Gibraltar because border guards
are shooting them with rubber bullets rather than trying to help them to
safety (Frayer). Treaties also need to be made with the countries in which
these immigrants are coming from so that they could possibly work together
in finding a better solution rather than illegal immigration. As long as there
is such a big difference in wealth and there are problems in Africa, there will
always be immigration.(Schemm)The longer this issue goes on, the faster
Spains economy will fall and unemployment will get worse.
The immigration of West Africans to Spain needs to be managed or
Spains economy will flounder. If their economy continues deteriorating at
this rate, many more will be out of jobs and the government will be forced to
spend much more. Although they are fleeing war and their own economic
destruction, the negative impacts of illegal immigrants on Spains economy
must be the main focus of the Spanish government. The funds to support the

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growing population of refugees are simply not there. Hopefully, Spain and
the rest of Europe will soon negotiate an agreement with the West African
countries in order to manage and minimize the issues that illegal
immigration creates for the Spanish economy.

Works Cited
Frayer, Lauren. A Surge of Migrants At The Border of Spain www.Npr.org.
8 August 2014
Web. 30 April 2015.
Frayer, Lauren. Flood of Desperate Refugees Tests Spaniards Tolerance
www.Npr.org.

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25 April 2015. Web. 30 April 2015.
Frayer, Lauren. The Fences Where Spain and Africa Meet www.Npr.org. 16
April 2015.
Web. 30 April 2015.
Schemm, Paul. African Migrants Risk Lives To Reach Europe
www.huffingtonpost.com .
4 April 2014. Web. 20 May 2015.
Daily Patriot Illegal Immigration in Spain up 70 Percent in 2014. 29 April
2015.
Web. 30 April 2015.