It’s been a month since Pedro Sanchez He toured Mauritania, Gambia and Senegal at the end of August, more precisely from September 27 to 30, ending with a striking new increase in migrant arrivals on the coasts of the Canary Islands. Due to lack of statistical adjustments from the Ministry of the Interior, they arrived in September 5,184 new migrants to the islands, on board 86 ships different. An average of 180 people and three boats, canoes or inflatable boats per day.
In his first speech, Sánchez announced that Spain was a “good destination” for immigration from Africa, and he went so far as to quantify our country’s labor needs each year: 250,000 jobs available. In the midst of a “migrant emergency”, this sounded like a call and caused a shock in the Canary Islands and Ceuta, mainly, hot spots of the crisis.
The next day, in Gambia then in Senegal, the President of the Government changed his position and mentioned the need to “greater commitment” countries of origin and transit of migrants to “facilitate the return” of those who arrived irregularly on our shores.
The mixed messages did not help close the tour with a sense of success, as no truly substantive agreements were communicated, apart from the promotion of “circular migration” models.
A week earlier, the head of the Executive had met in La Palma Fernando Clavijoregional president of the Canary Islands, who had not been summoned by Sánchez since the PSOE leader came to power in September 2018.
September was a month of political controversy due to the immigration crisis. While the islands’ government managed to stop state authorities from “handing over children to NGOs like someone leaves an order at the door, with a simple delivery note”, The prosecution responded by threatening to file a complaint for “child abandonment”.
This Monday, the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) rejected the Clavijo government’s request to reactivate the application of its ore reception protocol. The court does not go into the merits of the case and will decide later whether or not this regulation complies with the law.
From now on, the Litigation-Administrative Chamber of the TSJC does not miss the opportunity to, once again, urge both administrations to cooperate. He has already sent this message to both governments by suspending the application of the new Canary Islands protocol for the reception of minors. In the order known this Monday, the Chamber deepens its request.
“Hence also the call for institutional loyalty and collaboration of the authorities involved, for which the efforts deployed are not sufficient and whose achievement, beyond the formalization of a meeting within a conference sectoral, requires much more intense and complete interaction“, on the basis of information and disclosure of the respective initiatives that the organizations concerned intend to undertake, because the principle of cooperation requires it”, underline the judges.
Shipwreck in El Hierro
With an average of 24 unaccompanied minors (menas) arriving on the islands every daythe number of boys and girls for whom the Canary Islands have had to assume guardianship It has already reached 6,000. And while waiting for an agreement to ease this burden, they remain “overloaded” in the 81 reception centers which the regional government finances with its budgets.
“Not a single euro of aid has arrived from the State,” confirm sources close to the Minister of Social Protection, Candelaria Delgado.
These are the official data to which this newspaper had access, updated to the last day of the month. The month of September ends with 31,942 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands in a boat, cayuco or inflatable raft. In the absence of data from the official Interior report, the data means an increase of 113% around the same time last year. The crisis is “accelerating”underlines the island’s government.
That is to say that the “migratory emergency” that regional president Clavijo had already denounced when he returned to power in the summer of 2023, has more than doubled. and the “daily tragedy”normally invisible because it occurs on the high seas, was recorded this weekend under the eyes of maritime rescue officials.
A canoe adrift for at least two days capsized off the coast of El Hierro as it was about to be rescued. So far only nine lifeless bodies. And according to survivors, the sea swallowed up and 48 other people remain missingat least. Experts say that only one in three boats reaches the Spanish coast, in the most dangerous route of all those reaching EU territory.
This living shipwreck occurred shortly before the Minister of Territorial Policy, the Canarian Angel Victor Torrescalled Clavijo (his predecessor and successor as president of the islands) to organize “a discreet meeting” with him and Miguel Telladospokesperson for the Popular Party in Congress. The last appointment of these characteristics took place on August 12, i.e. almost two months ago.
“And since then we have not heard from the minister” in charge of Sánchez to coordinate contacts on immigration issues, given that the Council of Ministers has up to six portfolios with interests in the matter : Inside, Exteriors, Inclusion, Childhood, Defense And Territorial policy.
Torres’ task
Until now, because sources from the island’s executive assure that Torres He promised to bring “homework done” to this new meeting..
At this summer meeting, Torres and Tellado accepted a proposal from Clavijo to conclude the pact to reform immigration lawas a means of alleviating the “over-occupation” of the Canary Islands mineral centers.
But this “agreement principle” was subject to two tasks that the minister had to fulfill. Prepare a report with the minimum and maximum places that each Autonomous Community should make it possible to protect these minors, on the one hand. And on the other, “obtain financing” of the Ministry of Finance.
Because the pact provided that each Autonomous Community would take charge of the minerals located on its territory with its own economic and personal resources. From a 100% seat occupancyregional governments would continue to provide guardianship for these boys and girls, but with funds provided by the state. And a “saturation greater than 150%”it would be the State which would take care of it.
“Only in this way, with these guarantees, will we sign the reform,” say PP sources. The party president, Alberto Nuñez Feijóoconcluded an agreement with Clavijo a few weeks ago to have a common position. It is not for nothing that the PP and the Canarian Coalition (CC) govern together on the islands.
From caution to indignation
Canarian government sources prefer not to attribute Torres’ sudden call to the tragedy of El Hierro. But they emphasize that in just ten days the Canary Islands president will visit Moncloa, as part of the series of meetings promoted by the government with regional leaders. “They won’t want that Sánchez has difficulty with Clavijo showing his indignation to his face and say the things he already says in public.
And after months of “institutional caution”, the president of the Canaries has already accused the PSOE of “blackmailing” CC, his political party, to break the autonomous government coalition with the PP. “I’m starting to believe that’s what they want.”he said last week in the plenary session of the regional Parliament.
Furthermore, as EL ESPAÑOL reported this Tuesday, the government has not even started the procedures for transferring the 50 million euros that Sánchez had promised Clavijo during his meeting at the end of August.
During this meeting, the Canarian president practically rejected them, because the head of the Executive offered them to him to show that “The Canary Islands are not alone”and he argued that “the problem does not come from the islands, but rather from a crisis that affects all of Spain.” And he also showed him the accounts: every month, the Canary Islands budget invests between 14 and 15 million to serve the thousands of migrants who arrive on its shores, and the 6,000 men already “overcrowded” on the islands.
“President, I have already spent 150 milliontragedy triples its offer,” concluded Clavijo.
