Southern European states including Italy and Spain are urging NATO allies to address threats from North Africa, after the alliance agreed on a new strategic concept at its summit last week in Madrid.
While the war in Ukraine dominates NATO’s agenda, member states bordering the Mediterranean want the alliance to prepare for other potential flashpoints from the south, including a rapid increase in irregular migration. Spain warned it could be used as a pressure tactic by what it called “hostile actors.”
Hundreds of migrants attempted to breach the border fence separating the Spanish enclave of Melilla from Morocco last month. At least 23 people died during the attempted crossing. The migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, are desperate to reach Europe to claim asylum and find a better life.
Many migrants also arrive by boat on the Spanish Canary Islands, 100 kilometers off the African coast. The numbers arriving in the first six months of the year have more than doubled since 2021 — and Spain fears the pressure on its borders could be about to worsen.
Ukraine is one of the world’s top suppliers of grain, but the Russian invasion has cut its exports by around two-thirds.
The United Nations has warned that the situation will exacerbate an already worsening hunger crisis in Africa. Europe is readying for an increase in migration.
A resurgent Islamist militancy in parts of the Sahel is also driving migrant flows.
Europe also says Russian mercenaries from the Wagner Group are exacerbating the conflict. The European Union has imposed sanctions on the Wagner Group, which it says works for the Kremlin. Moscow denies any links but says it is providing “military assistance” through state channels.
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