Overall trend in the number of illegal immigrants arriving on Spanish shores continues to decline despite a slight upturn last year

02 February 2012

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The number of illegal immigrants arriving on Spanish shores continues to decline despite the slight upturn seen last year.

In 2011, a total of 5,443 illegal immigrants came to Spain by boat compared with 3,632 in 2010. This is an increase of 1,811 on 2010, whereas the trend in recent years has been one of decline.

However, and in spite of this slight upturn, the overall decline since 2006 (a year in which 39,180 illegal immigrants came to Spain) continues to fall, with 33,737 fewer illegal immigrants last year.

The same can also be said for the Canary Islands, where the trend in recent years has been one of decline with 31,338 fewer illegal immigrants arriving since 2006. However, 2011 saw a slight upturn of 340 when compared with the figure of 196 in 2010. This is an increase of 144 more illegal immigrants arriving in the Canary Islands.

There was also an increase with regard to the number arriving to mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands (1,667 more illegal immigrants). Whereas 3,436 arrived in 2010, a total of 5,103 arrived in 2010.

In spite of this latest increase, the overall trend recorded since 2006 is one of constant decline. Whereas 7,502 illegal immigrants arrived in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands in 2006, a total of 5,103 arrived in 2011. This is a decline of 2,399 illegal immigrants.

Illegal immigrants entering Ceuta and Melilla

A total of 3,345 illegal immigrants were recorded in Ceuta and Melilla in 2011. These arrivals mainly consist of people trying to enter by swimming, hiding in vehicles and other means of transport or by breaching the border fence.

The number of illegal immigrants arriving in 2011 (3,345) is considerably lower than the number arriving in 2005 (5,566), with a decline of 2,221. However, 2011 saw an increase of 1,778 more illegal immigrants on the number recorded in 2010.

Repatriations

In 2011, the Ministry of Home Affairs repatriated 30,792 illegal immigrants compared with 30,163 in 2010. This is an increase of 629 people or 2.08% and a result of the slight upturn in the number of arriving illegal immigrants recorded in Spain in 2011.

Refusal of entry

The number of people refused entry (those people turned away at border posts set up at sea ports and airports, for example) increased by 17.3%, from 9,453 in 2010 to 11,092 in 2011.

Readmissions

The number of readmissions (people who have crossed the border between Spain and France or Spain and Portugal and who were intercepted and returned to the country from whence they came under agreements signed with those two countries) fell by 34.76%, from 1,959 in 2010 to 1,278 in 2011.

Returns

The number of people returned (those who tried to enter Spain via locations not set up as border crossings) also fell by 3.19%, from 7,297 in 2010 to 7,064 in 2011.

Deportations

The number of deportations (people intercepted within Spain and found to be without papers) fell slightly by 0.84%, from 11,454 in 2010 to 11,358 in 2011.

Qualified deportations

The Ministry of Home Affairs created the Foreign Criminal Deportation Brigade of the National Police Force (Spanish acronym: BEDEX) in 2009, whose mission is to repatriate foreign offenders with an extensive criminal and/or judicial record associated with terrorism, organised gangs, domestic violence or any other criminal act of a particularly serious nature and that represent a threat to public security. These deportations are carried out following a judicial order and also prohibit the individual concerned from entering Spain or other Member States of the Schengen area.

The creation of BEDEX has led to greater effectiveness in terms of qualified deportations. A total of 9,114 foreign offenders were deported in 2011, compared with a total of 8,196 in 2010. This is an increase of 918. A total of 7,591 qualified deportation orders were enforced in 2009, which means the increase in 2011 stands at 1,523 more offenders deported.

While qualified deportations rose by 11.2%, the number of unqualified deportations fell by 31.2%. 8 out of every 10 foreigners deported have a police and/or judicial record.