Ursula von der Leyen assures that the European Commission “is willing to help Spain activate the relocation of unaccompanied minors and to facilitate dialogue with the Member States that are committed to this.” He also claims that this “greater support” offered to alleviate the crisis in the Canary Islands could be activated “at the request of Spain”.
This is what is stated in a letter signed last week by the president of the European Commission, the contents of which EL ESPAÑOL had access to.
The document emphasizes that only the government’s desire to Pedro Sanchez what is missing to begin the distribution of a good part of the 6,000 minerals “piled up” on the islands, according to the words of the Autonomous Executive of Fernando Clavijo.
It must be remembered that the governments of the Member States are the only authorized interlocutors with the European institutions.
Already on September 4, the CEO of Frontex, Hans Leijtensadmitted his “helplessness” in the face of the migration crisis in the Canary Islands. before the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) of the European Parliament.
The top Dutch official, head of the European border control agency, said he “personally knows” the situation and explained “all the resources” you could deploy to deter ships from leaving Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal And Gambia on “the most dangerous migration route in the world”, according to experts.
The incessant flow of irregular people arriving from northwest Africa towards the islands, which It reaches almost 31,000 So far this year, it may be slowing down. “But the Spanish government must ask for it, and he didn’t ask for it“insisted the former Dutch colonel.
The declaration “surprised” the European Parliament a month ago. But this newspaper had access to a document even more enlightening than Leijtens’ comments. The letter signed by Von der Leyen herself, dated September 25, in which she confirms that The European Union “could provide more support to Spain’s request”.
The two-page letter explains what type of support actions the European institutions have carried out so far. And also, the limit reached in these by respect for Spanish sovereignty.
The Red Cross receives a group of unaccompanied minor migrants at the Puerto Naos dock, in Arrecife, Lanzarote.
The President of the Commission explains that the Community Executive says “aware of the difficult circumstances that Spain is going through, and in particular the Canary Islands“. And he claims to be “in regular contact with the competent authorities to guarantee continued political and operational support”.
Von der Leyen explains that as long as the Spanish government does not make a formal request, Brussels has reached its aid ceiling. Even if, he insists when saying goodbye, his institution is “ready to continue helping to Spain and the Canary Islands in their efforts”.
The letter is an unusually rapid response to the vice-president of the European People’s Group, Dolors Montserrat. The Spanish MEP had written him another letter a few days earlier, asking him clarify to what extent the EU was involved in the management of the “migratory emergency” in Spain. And above all to clarify the implications of the declaration by the director of Frontex to the European Parliament.
Von der Leyen details the immense amount of European funds made available to the Spanish executive for the migration challenge. “Since 2020, the Commission has provided 117.5 million euros within the framework of the Emergency Assistance Instrument to meet the needs of the Canary Islands”, he recalls.
Furthermore, the President of the Commission adds that there is “more than 1,000 million euros assigned to Spain in the multiannual financial framework between 2021 and 2027 for asylum, migration, border management and security support.
And finally, he emphasizes that “the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism also includes 190 million euros to increase the capacity and efficiency of the reception system in Spain.
Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, and Sánchez, president of the government, meeting in La Palma last August.
Von der Leyen’s letter also explains non-financial contributionssuch as EU agencies that are “present and active” on the ground. For example, the aforementioned Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency), which has already deployed “more than 50 experts” in Spain, “mainly to support the police in the identification and registration of migrants”.
It should be remembered that Colonel Leijtens, director of Frontex, mentioned the figure of “up to 3,000 agents available” be sent to control maritime traffic in the Atlantic and blocking the road to the Canary Islands. These actions were the main reason for the drop of more than 60% in migratory flows towards Italy in 2024. The same as in Greecethe other large southern country which constitutes the external maritime border of the EU.
Remember the letter from Von der Leyen which European Asylum Support Office (EASO) “already supports the Canary Islands authorities in strengthening the childcare system”. Even if the European president insists that It is “in this context” in which the islands can “receive more support at the request of Spain”.
“Why don’t you do it?”
Precisely, this Thursday, the Secretary General of the Popular Party publicly wondered “why the Sánchez government is not activating all the aid mechanisms offered by the EU to deal with the humanitarian emergency in the Canary Islands.”
Cuca GamarraIn fact, he expressly requested that the Council of Ministers demand that the Union the activation of the Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism for “the relocation of minerals at European level”.
Number two of Alberto Nuñez Feijóo He made this reflection in the presentation of his colleague from the Executive of the PP and vice-president of the Autonomous Executive of the Canary Islands, Manolo Dominguez. The popular leader of the islands accused Sánchez of being “more interested in bringing down the government alliance” that the PP maintains with the Canarian Coalition of Clavijo, even at the risk of using the miners as pawns in this strategy.
According to his presentation, the migration crisis in the Canary Islands has three areas: “overpopulation” of 6,000 unaccompanied minorswhich autonomous institutions cannot take care of; the “unprecedented” growth in the total number of arrivals of people in an irregular situation, i.e. almost 31,000 migrants, that is to say they have already more than double the “tragic” of last year (+105.7%); and the lack of collaboration from countries of origin and transit, both to prevent departures and to admit returns.
The first aspect is the one that has been under negotiation for three months. The Government wants to reform the Immigration Law to be able to distribute menas in other Autonomous Communities. But the Canary Islands and the PP (and its 13 other LACCs) They demand the establishment of quotas and state funding.
The second point depends on dissuasive measures at sea which the government refuses to implement (even though it has done so in recent years), but which Frontex could do so. And for the third, you would have to have a stronger negotiating position than the current one of Spain, which Mauritania and Senegal have seen yield in recent years to pressure from Morocco.
It is not for nothing that Von der Leyen’s letter underlines, in another of its points, that “for prevent irregular migration and fight against migrant smugglingit is essential to continue working with the partner countries” at the origin. And also to develop “the framework for implementing the Action Plan on the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic routes, with a view to develop and deepen EU partnerships with Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia and Morocco“.
Brussels is also there for that. If the Spanish government deems it appropriate.
