British holidaymakers could be sharing Spanish hotels with illegal migrants from Africa after they were asked to give up rooms to accommodate asylum seekers

• Human rights organisations are asking hotels to give up rooms in various holiday hotspots for around £35 a night

British holidaymakers heading for Spain could find themselves sharing their hotels with illegal immigrants from Africa.

Human rights organisations are asking hotels in various holiday hotspots to give up rooms for around £35 a night so asylum seekers can receive proper accommodation.

The plea follows a major crisis for the Canary Islands which are seeing near-daily arrivals of illegal immigrants who have survived the deadly sea journey from Africa in tiny boats.

So far, hotels in the Valencia region have agreed to help while the popular British destination of Benidorm has refused because the request hasn’t come from the government and they think it has not been ‘thought out properly’.

The migration crisis in the Canary Islands broke all records in October, surpassing even 2006 when thousands tried to head for the likes of Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. Almost 15,000 people arrived on the coasts of the islands last month.

Pictured: Migrants arriving on a boat in the Canary Islands (File Photo) 

Valencia (File Photo). So far, hotels in the Valencia region have agreed to help but Benidorm says it cannot join in yet because the request hasn’t come from the government and they think it has not been ‘thought out properly’ 

The Atlantic route is considered one of the deadliest for illegal immigrants in their tiny boats, often without life jackets, but they are desperate to find a new life in Europe. While most survive, thousands have died over the last 20 years.

This week, another 218 reached Tenerife, El Hierro and Gran Canaria, but three died. In Tenerife, tourists were stunned as they watched 201 migrants arrive at the port in Los Cristianos.

Spain’s Ministry of the Interior confirmed that during October, the archipelago received 14,976 migrants on its coasts, which marks a historical record in the arrival of foreigners in small boats.

So far this year, migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands.

In total, 44,404 migrants managed to get to Spain irregularly so far this year, which represents an increase of 57.5% (16,208 more) compared to the same period last year.

The highest number of irregular migrant arrivals in the country came in 2018, when 57,498 people arrived on the Spanish coasts.

The renewed crisis means there is more pressure on the authorities to find temporary homes for the illegal immigrants who have to be processed before being sent back to their country.

Specific camps are overflowing and at least 150 people had to spend their first night in the garage of a police station in south Tenerife where the conditions were said to be ‘appalling’.

‘Broken pipes were fixed with electrical tape, which has obviously given negative results, with sewage leakage and the consequent spillage towards the garage door, which causes a bad smell, risk of slipping and serious risk of spreading infectious-contagious diseases,’ said a spokesperson from the Spanish Police Federation.

Hotels on the Spanish mainland have therefore been asked to help by providing rooms for the migrants.

Various non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are contacting the hotels but the Valencian Hotel Association, HOSBEC, has criticised the ‘lack of coordination’ between the public and private sectors.

The group says it would like to help but will not do so until arrangements are properly co-ordinated by the Spanish government.

‘In the last 72 hours, several hoteliers in the Valencian Community have expressed their bewilderment after being contacted by external organisations offering flexible accommodation contracts for refugees in the coming weeks, adapted to each establishment’s economic and service conditions,’ said a spokesman.

Hosbec confirmed that no hotels in Benidorm were helping but it was aware that in other tourist destinations in the Valencian community, refugees were either already staying in affiliated hotels or will be in the coming days.

Source: Read Full Article