The government, the People’s Party and the president of the Canary Islands sat down to negotiate the distribution of migrant minors. This Monday, a meeting was held discreetly between the parties with the aim of unblocking the process of reforming the immigration law. “A series of technical meetings are being held, in complete discretion, to study different documents and reach an agreement for a rapid solution for migrant minors,” confirm sources close to the negotiations.
The Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres; the head of Youth and Children, Sira Rego; the spokesperson for the PP in Congress, Miguel Tellado; and the Canary Islands president, Fernando Clavijo, held a meeting this Monday described as “technical” to move towards a political agreement on the transfer of migrant minors.
The same sources do not give further details on the progress of the negotiations, and insist on the fact that the objective was to maintain discretion on the content of the meetings to avoid “tensions and excesses” and reach an agreement which decongests reform of immigration law. . “All necessary meetings will take place until an agreement is reached,” they add. The reactivation of negotiations on the regulatory change that would accelerate the transfer of migrant minors was awaiting the diagnosis from the Ministry of Youth and Children on the minimum number of places that each autonomous community must have, hence the financing details , which be one of the key points to address in the process.
While the rate of migrant arrivals in the Canary Islands is not stopping and an increase is expected in the coming weeks linked to calm sea weather, the archipelago does not have a plan b to strengthen the reception of minors in case of emergency. multiply. “Beyond the tents – installed in several ports of the islands and which have been questioned by the prosecution – and continuing to provide resources, we have no other contingent,” the president of the Canary Islands admitted last week , Fernando Clavijo. With time running out, the Canarian Government is banking everything on reaching an agreement between the Central Executive and the Popular Party to reform the Immigration Law. Clavijo then said he aspired to reach this agreement and approve the regulatory change by executive order “within three weeks.”
The parties involved sit at a time when wide differences remain over the approach to regulatory change and the funding for it. The PP requests state funding of all open spaces once 100% occupancy has been exceeded. And, once the 150% is drawn, the popular demand not only its financing but also the management of reception by the State, which the government deemed unaffordable in July when it collided with the distribution of powers.
Added to the difficulties in reaching an agreement on substantive issues is the increase in tensions between the Canary Islands and the central government, aggravated after the approval of a new protocol for the reception of migrant minors in the archipelago. who ended up paralyzed by justice. preventively.
The increase in tensions between parties, as Clavijo acknowledged, is part of the strategy to seek solutions: “The relationship (with the central government) is tense. As part of the strategy, you need to move the tree. If we didn’t really raise our voice, things weren’t going to move, the State was at ease.” Added to this is a direct legal battle between the central and regional executives, after the Council of Ministers agreed to file an appeal of unconstitutionality against the measure after receiving the green light from the Council of State.
