Senior Spanish ministers have been discussing the illegal immigration crisis facing the Canary Islands after a mass landing of African immigrants

BBC News:

Nearly 1,000 people arrived in boats from Africa over the weekend - the largest number this year.

Officials on the islands say at least 5,000 immigrants have made the journey this year and urged Madrid to give the issue greater priority.

The Spanish government says it will step up action to tackle the problem.

Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said increasing numbers of illegal immigrants would be repatriated and joint patrols by Spanish and Mauritanian forces start on Monday to guard against illegal people trafficking to the Canaries.

Since Friday, 974 illegal migrants on boats heading for the Canary Islands have been intercepted by Spanish authorities.

Thousands try to reach Europe through Spanish waters every year - most packed into narrow, open boats from north Africa that sometimes take weeks to arrive. Many destroy their identity papers before reaching Spain to hinder repatriation.

Hundreds of would-be illegal immigrants have died on route.

Spain trying to stem flood of African migrants