Boats carrying 194 Africans arrive in Canaries

MADRID, 19 June (Reuters) Boats carrying 194 Africans bidding for new lives in Europe have arrived in the Canary Islands since late yesterday, despite a Spanish government drive to repatriate illegal migrants, emergency services said today.

The largest of the open wooden boats, powered by outboard motors and known as ''cayucos'', was carrying 94 exhausted Africans who arrived in San Bartolome de Tirajana on Tuesday morning.

Two other cayucos had made it since Monday night after dangerous voyages hugging the African coast.

Spain chartered planes to repatriate 750 failed migrants from the Canaries after the last rush of arrivals in May and said it wanted to make it known that attempts to enter the country illegally would end in failure.

Last year about 30,000 Africans arrived in the islands, making illegal immigration one of Spain's biggest political issues. A significant proportion of them managed to stay in the country after being transferred to the mainland but the government is now determined to take a tougher line.

Many of those who try for the Canaries never make it, with thousands believed to drown or die from exposure on the way.

Reuters JK DB1845