The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, formally invited the Pope to visit the Canary Islands during their private meeting at the Vatican, although the Pontiff did not confirm the trip.
During a meeting of approximately 35 minutes, he conveyed the official invitation to the Pope, who is one of the requirements It is fundamental for the team that manages Francisco’s international agenda to start taking concrete steps to prepare.
Sánchez explained that the invitation to visit the Canary Islands is based on “the interest that the Holy See has in knowing the reality of the Canarian people”, especially due to the migratory flows that reach its shores. The Pope has already openly expressed his desire to travel to the Canary Islands in the midst of the migration crisis which affected the archipelago on September 13 to “be close to the leaders and inhabitants of the Canary Islands”.
The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, also invited the Pontiff to visit the archipelago to learn about the migratory reality last January, during his meeting at the Vatican.
On the other hand, Sánchez also expressed to the Pontiff his desire to achieve integration policies for migrants arriving in Spain, mainly in the Canary Islands, addressing “an issue that greatly worries Pope Francis,” the president said.
He explained to Francisco that the immigration policy defended by the Spanish government is “based on border control” and “on the expansion of the immigration system.” reception”, as well as “aid for the economic development of countries of origin and transit of this irregular migration” as a second pillar.
In this regard, he stressed that in addition to the humanitarian issue, Migration is favorable to the “economic development” and “present and future prosperity” of Spain. “If it does nothing over the next decades, (Spain) will lose four million people of working age and will therefore, if it does nothing, have the same workforce as in 1996, which would imply a reduction in the potential growth of our country. country from 2% to 0.1%,” he said.
He pleaded for an immigration policy that was “humanist» and “respectful of human rights”, as well as “vigorous against the mafias that engage in human trafficking, minimizing the entry of irregular immigrants”.
