The European border agency Frontex is ready to help Spain in the management of the wave of undocumented migrants arriving in the Canary Islands, but has not received any request from the government of Pedro Sánchez, which is mandatory for it to intervene.
Frontex Director, Hans Leijtensappeared this Wednesday in the European Parliament to explain precisely that after visiting the Canary Islands, the agency is ready to deploy immediately in this archipelago. “I hope that we will receive a request for help that I know is necessary. I have spoken with the immigration reception centres and with the Civil Guard and I am aware of the situation, but any management must start with the request of the Spanish authorities. In the absence of this request, we are not authorized to support the authorities.
Leijtens explained to the MEPs that if the government asked for Frontex to be involved in this problem, the agency already has the capacity to act with high speedas demonstrated, for example, when Finland detected a dramatic increase in arrivals from Russia and needed only three days to start acting.
Frontex does not have its own capabilities, but uses the means made available to it by member countries They don’t need it at this time. In the case of the Canary Islands, it could help identify and register immigrants who arrive on the islands and possibly carry out the expulsion of those who are proven not to have the right to remain in European territory. It could also patrol the limits of Spanish territorial waters, but this would have very delicate angles in relation to the border limits with Morocco and Western Sahara, in addition to the fact that it would be necessary to use military means, including those of other countries.
In its 2023 annual report, Frontex already indicated that the largest increase in arrivals of undocumented immigrants from all over Europe was occurring on the West African route, with increases of up to 161% and Leijtens himself described the situation occurring in the Canary Islands as “the main concern of Europe” in the field of illegal immigration. Yesterday, he recognized that the situation in the Canary Islands has become “a structural problem.” The popular MEP Juan Ignacio Zoido denounced “the negligence of functions with which the Sánchez government condemns the Canary Islands” with the aggravating circumstance that “in Moncloa they had already been warned for months by Frontex, by the Canary Islands and by the PP that this crisis would occur.
The also popular Dolors Montserat announced that he would request a debate in the plenary session of the European Parliament to discuss the Spanish government’s refusal to request Frontex intervention and a motion urging Pedro Sánchez to request EU help.
