Senegal suspends return of migrants from Spain

DAKAR, June 1 (Reuters) Senegal has suspended the repatriation of Senegalese illegal migrants from Spain's Canary Islands because it said they were mistreated and lied to by Spanish authorities, a government official said today.

Repatriation flights were suspended a day after the two governments announced the start of an operation to return more than 600 Senegalese migrants from the Canaries, where nearly 9,000 sub-Saharan Africans have come ashore in boats this year.

A first batch of nearly 100 Senegalese were flown to Dakar yesterday.

''Senegal is suspending its cooperation with Spain in the operations to repatriate its citizens from the Canary Islands,'' the senior official, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.

He complained that the Senegalese sent back yesterday were handcuffed and were told before they boarded they were being flown to Spain, although the plane took them to Dakar.

Senegal has sent a diplomatic note to Madrid protesting the treatment of its nationals and suspending the repatriation operation, the official said.

REUTERS SI RN1715