The president of the Xunta, Alfonso Rueda, acknowledges that the arrival of migrants in Galicia, which he described a week ago as a “flood without criteria”, does not pose a risk that the community’s capacity to care for them will be insufficient. “No, not at the moment, not at all,” he replied to a question about whether Galicia was overwhelmed.
“A rush in the sense that people arrive in our territory without any criteria. And if that’s the case, let them explain it to you,” he said. Rueda wanted to criticize the central government for the distribution among the different territories of the state of migrants who arrive fleeing wars and poverty in African countries. The problem, he repeated, is what he considers a lack of attention when announcing the number of migrants who will be transferred to each community and what he calls a “lack of judgment.” He says he does not see any reasoning “beyond the availability of hotel rooms in a specific place” to distribute these people. He assures that the Xunta wants to know the “expectations” to “give them the future they deserve.”
The central government, according to the Galician president, is limited to “hoping” that these migrants “disappear from the territory and go where they can”. In any case, he assures that Galicia is able to welcome them: “Beyond the lack of information and judgment, in no case have we refused or said that there is no more room”. If the situation continues in the current conditions, he added, “it will not be possible to serve them well and, in the end, the capacities will be exceeded”. In recent weeks, 120 migrants have arrived in the municipality of Monterroso, in Lugo, and another 70 are expected to go to Sanxenxo (Pontevedra) in mid-September.
Furthermore, in response to the question of whether talking about an “influx” of migrants can generate concern among the population, Rueda considered that “the alarm can be created by the confirmation by the population of the absence of a migration policy by the one who should have it.” to have it, which is the central government. He said this in reference to President Pedro Sánchez’s trip last week to Mauritania, Senegal and Gambia to resolve immigration problems. The tour was attacked by PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who accused Sánchez of having “encouraged a call effect.” Rueda supported this point of view.
The Galician president spoke of projects such as the one presented this Monday after the weekly meeting of the Xunta Council to train migrants in sectors such as hospitality, construction and rural activities, where it is difficult to find work. A new edition of the program, with a budget of one million euros, plans to reach around 150 migrants.
