The Young Nationalists of Lanzarote have welcomed the introduction of a motion to the Cabildo, requesting the Spanish Government to adapt the Summer Youth programme to the territorial conditions of the Canary Islands.
The proposal, put forward by the Nationalist Group, will be debated in the island plenary on Thursday, June 25, and aims to ensure that young people in the Canary Islands can access state transport aid on the same terms as their peers residing on the mainland.
Proposed Changes
The motion suggests the incorporation of specific discounts for maritime and aerial transport between the Canary Islands and the mainland. It also seeks to guarantee that these aids are compatible with subsidies for resident transport.
Additionally, it proposes the establishment of a working group involving the Canary Islands administrations and youth organisations in the archipelago to analyse the challenges in accessing the programme and propose solutions tailored to the unique circumstances of island life.
Insights from the Youth Secretary
Joel Arbelo, the Secretary General of the Young Nationalists of Lanzarote, argued that the state programme is primarily designed to reflect the realities of the mainland, where beneficiaries can use trains and long-distance buses.
“For a young person in the Canary Islands, there is no option to take a train or a long-distance bus from their place of residence. If we want to access these aids, we first have to pay for a flight or a ferry,” Arbelo stated.
Challenges Faced by Young People
The youth organisation believes this situation puts young people in the Canary Islands at a disadvantage due to the additional costs involved in travelling from the islands before they can utilise the transport included in the programme.
According to JNL, despite appeals from the Canary Islands and initiatives promoted in the Cortes Generales, the new Summer Youth programme has not incorporated specific changes to address the outermost status of the archipelago.
Call for Permanent Changes
Arbelo expressed gratitude that the Nationalist Group has brought the proposal to the Cabildo plenary and is hopeful that the initiative will contribute to the modification of the state programme.
The motion also requests that the Spanish Government permanently considers the outermost reality of the Canary Islands in the design of youth policies, in order to prevent insularity from limiting access to future public aids.
