The letter from the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on which the People’s Party relies to break off negotiations on the question of the distribution of minors arriving in the Canary Islands, does not say in any of its lines that the Spain has rejected aid from the European Union. This is how it is the very document to which the spokesperson for the Popular Party in Congress, Miguel Tellado, referred this Saturday morning, which denies the reasons for abandoning negotiations on the distribution of boys and girls migrants, which are currently in progress. Canary Islands, in the rest of the communities.
From this newspaper we had access to the letter that Von der Leyen sent on September 25 to Dolors Monserrat, vice-president spokesperson of the European People’s Party Group in which she thanks the Spanish People’s Party for the concern shown in the face of the tragedy of immigration who we live in the Canary Islands and where we say everything that the Commission is already doing in matters of immigration. The conclusion of this response is a pro forma paragraph stating that “the Commission is ready to continue assisting Spain and the Canary Islands in their efforts to manage this difficult situation.” There is no indication that Spain rejected this aid.
“In the future, the Pact on Migration and Asylum will make the EU even better equipped to deal with difficult migration situations, such as the one affecting the Canary Islands, notably by introducing a permanent, obligatory and flexible, as well as specific measures. measures for crisis and force majeure situations. Therefore, the focus is now on realizing the Pact on the ground,” contextualizes Von der Leyen.
The President of the European Commission also explains that she is in contact with the government of the Canary Islands “to explore opportunities to promote safe and legal routes that offer an alternative to irregular migration”, and adds that “the agencies of the The EU are also present and they are taking action on the ground. “The European Border and Coast Guard Agency has deployed more than 50 experts, mainly to help police identify and register migrants. »
Government sources tell this editorial team that it is this formal response that popular people cling to to attack the management of immigration and use it “as a pretext to overturn the current negotiations and they add that” the Spanish Government and the Commission are doing things as they should, following the established instruments, procedures and protocols. “The PP is inventing a non-existent conflict to polarize around this issue and break up a negotiation that could bring real and immediate solutions to the Canary Islands.”
The National Executive also categorically denied that the Spanish Government rejected EU aid, “regulated aid”, and it draws attention to the fact that “the PP unilaterally broke off the negotiations due to false information”.
For his part, the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños, demanded that the PP stop finding “implausible” excuses to refuse to reach an agreement with the government on issues of immigration, assume responsibility and show humanity. . “Let them be aware,” he said, “that we must treat with dignity people who have nothing, many of whom are children who don’t even have their parents nearby. »
