The spokesperson for the Government of the Canary Islands, Alfonso Cabello, has criticised the departure of approximately 30 unaccompanied migrant minors with the right to asylum from the islands. This comes as 106 new young people under the age of 18 arrived on a small boat in Arguineguín (Gran Canaria) this Sunday, although it remains unclear how many of them are unaccompanied minors.
Speaking at a press conference following the Council of Government meeting on Monday, Cabello noted that the autonomous community is currently responsible for approximately 5,017 migrant minors across 85 centres on the various islands.
Of this total, 994 are minors entitled to asylum, who, despite being shouldered by the State, remain in facilities run by the autonomous community. Furthermore, 197 have been transferred to the ‘Canarias 50’ centre in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, while only 30 have been sent to state centres on the mainland.
Cabello emphasised the significance of this last figure — the 30 migrant minors who have left the archipelago — as 1,320 minors have arrived irregularly in the islands so far this year.
The spokesperson also reminded attendees that the Canary Islands has been in a state of migratory emergency for two years, indicating that the islands are still without adequate support, and urged the Spanish government to “meet” its obligations to the Canary Islands and rectify this situation.
Moreover, he demanded that the latest Decree Law, which would activate provisions under Article 35 of the Immigration Law to allow the immediate transfer of migrant minors (pertaining to those under the care of the Canary Islands) to other autonomous communities, be presented to the Cabinet on Tuesday.
On another note, the spokesperson highlighted that the situation currently faced by the Balearic Islands regarding irregular immigration is not comparable to the challenges experienced by the Canary Islands in recent years.
“As of 15 August, 20,153 migrants have arrived on Spanish shores. Of these, 11,421 came to the Canary Islands, representing 56%, while 4,323 landed in the Balearic Islands. Furthermore, in two years and eight months, 100,000 migrants have reached the Canary Islands,” he remarked.
Cabello expressed concern over the regional government’s disbelief regarding the Balearic proposal to amend the Immigration Law. He noted that the law stipulates when an autonomous community — be it the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, or the autonomous cities of Ceuta or Melilla — exceeds its capacity to accommodate individuals by more than 150%, a mechanism should be activated to provide assistance.
“We find the proposal from the Balearic Islands quite surprising, as it seems to aim at blocking distribution,” he stated, adding that they may also face overwhelming numbers in the future. “Therefore, we do not fully understand the position of the Balearic Islands on this matter,” he concluded.
Agencies EP
