British holidaymakers could share Spanish hotels with illegal immigrants from Africa after being asked to give up rooms to accommodate asylum seekers

British holidaymakers traveling to Spain may find themselves sharing hotels with illegal immigrants from Africa.

Human rights groups are calling on hotels in various holiday hotspots to offer rooms for around £35 a night so asylum seekers can find good accommodation.

The appeal follows a major crisis in the Canary Islands, where illegal immigrants who survived the deadly sea voyage from Africa in small boats arrive almost daily.

So far, hotels in the Valencia region have pledged to help, while the popular British destination Benidorm has refused, saying the request did not come from the government and they felt it was not “well thought out”.

The migration crisis in the Canary Islands broke all records in October and even surpassed 2006, when thousands of people tried to flee to Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria. Almost 15,000 people arrived on the islands’ shores last month.

Valencia (archive photo). So far, hotels in the Valencia region have agreed to help, but Benidorm says it cannot yet join because the request has not come from the government and they believe it is not “well thought out”.

The Atlantic route is considered one of the deadliest for illegal immigrants in their small boats, often without life jackets but desperate to find a new life in Europe. Although most survive, thousands have died in the past twenty years.

This week another 218 people reached Tenerife, El Hierro and Gran Canaria, but three died. In Tenerife, tourists were stunned to see 201 migrants arrive at the port of Los Cristianos.

Spain’s Interior Ministry confirmed that the archipelago welcomed 14,976 migrants to its shores in October, setting a historic record for the arrival of foreigners in small boats.

Migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands so far this year.

A total of 44,404 migrants have entered Spain irregularly so far this year, an increase of 57.5% (16,208 more) compared to the same period last year.

The highest number of irregular migrants arrived in 2018, when 57,498 people arrived on the Spanish coast.

The renewed crisis means there is increasing pressure on authorities to find temporary accommodation for illegal immigrants who need to be processed before being returned to their countries.

Some camps are overcrowded and at least 150 people had to spend their first night in the garage of a police station in southern Tenerife, where conditions were said to be “horrendous”.

“Broken pipes were repaired with electrical tape, which of course had negative consequences, as waste water leaked out and then reached the garage door, causing a bad smell, risk of slipping and a serious risk of spreading infectious diseases ,” says a spokesperson for the Spanish Police Association.

Therefore, hotels in mainland Spain were asked to help by providing rooms to the migrants.

Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are contacting the hotels, but the Valencian hotel association HOSBEC criticizes the “lack of coordination” between the public and private sectors.

The group says they are happy to help, but will not do so until arrangements are properly coordinated by the Spanish government.

“In the last 72 hours, several hoteliers in the Valencian community have expressed their dismay after being contacted by external organizations offering flexible accommodation contracts for refugees in the coming weeks, adapted to the economic and service conditions of each business,” said. a spokesperson.

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