Oswaldo Betancort (CC-PNC) appreciates that the Executive launches “an SOS” after two years of migration crisis in which it has been “submissive”
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Feb. 4 (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Minister of Security of the Government of the Canary Islands, Julio Pérez, has indicated this Friday that the reception system for unaccompanied migrant minors “is bad” for which he has demanded that the central government promote legislative and regulatory changes.
In an appearance before a parliamentary commission, he has detailed that there are fifty centers on the islands that currently serve more than 2,800 minors and although they are “overwhelmed” because they did not expect so many to arrive on the islands, he has denied that there is “overcrowding” because they are provided of all services.
Pérez has admitted that the voluntary system between autonomous communities does not work, since just over 200 have been derived and a community like Madrid, with more resources, has only welcomed five.
For this reason, it calls for a criterion of “shared management” in which the central government and the EU must participate, given that, although the Canary Islands are a ‘border region’, it does not have to absorb all the care of minors.
He pointed out that migration “is one of the most serious problems of Canarian society” and the poor political, economic and social situation that exists in much of the African continent does not seem to change the situation on the Canarian route.
He has commented that the Civil Guard has “sufficient troops” to deal with the arrival of boats, since most are intercepted and taken to port, and he has said, in the face of criticism from the opposition, that the Mediterranean is not armored, since last year it registered the 46% of arrivals.
Pérez has valued that the Minister of Migration, José Luis Escrivá, has recognized that the model must be changed, emphasizing that this has been done with adults, since of the more than 23,000 who arrived in the Canary Islands last year, few remain on the islands. more than 3,000.
“EVERY TIME THEY ARRIVE MORE BUT THEY STAY LESS”
“More and more arrive but fewer and fewer stay, a year and a half ago we discussed that and now 85% are leaving,” he stressed.
In addition, he has denied that the Canarian Government has had a “submissive and surrendering attitude”, on the contrary, it has had a “demand” that the rules be respected and in fact, “it has produced effects” with the mobility of adults.
Oswaldo Betancort, of the Nationalist Group, has warned that the numbers of arrivals of migrants to the Canary Islands “are skyrocketing” and generate “catastrophic images” on one of the “deadliest” migratory routes in the world.
He has recognized that the Canarian Government “is overwhelmed” because it has not been “aware” of the crisis that was approaching, he has accused the Government delegate, Anselmo Pestana, of “not picking up the phone”, and asking for funds so that the town councils can pay for the withdrawal of small boats from the beaches.
He lamented the lack of resources in the rescue and rescue services and that the president of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, “not to his face”, although he did thank the Executive for the change in position of starting to demand help from the central government .
“I am glad that they are launching the SOS because until now we have been submissive,” he added.
CS CLAIMS MORE MEDIA
Ricardo Fernández (Cs) has commented that the new routes depart from Morocco and “more fragile and dangerous” inflatable boats are arriving, with which deaths are increasing, hence he asks the central government for “more means”.
He has pointed out that the arrivals of women and minors are growing and the rescue system “has flaws” and has few resources, and although there is no “saturation” in the reception centers, he maintains that the Canary Islands will not be able to hold out much longer.
Melodie Mendoza (ASG) has commented that the behavior of the central government “is unacceptable and a mistake” because, together with the EU, they treat the islands that they do not deserve, since last year more than 4,000 people died and on the islands there are almost 3,000 minors in guardianship.
He stressed that the Canarian Government “performs almost miracles” to serve them due to lack of adequate spaces and demanded that it be legislated so that the care of migrant minors “is shared” and does not depend on voluntariness.
Francisco Déniz (Yes We Can) has lamented that the quality of life in Africa worsens due to wars and famines, especially in the western zone, and understands that the means to attend to the crossing “will always be scarce”.
However, he has indicated that it is necessary to be “firm” and “raise the tone” to clarify and increase powers given that the Canary Islands “is the gateway” to the EU, although he has said that “it is a success” that allow the transit of people to the Peninsula and the rest of the continent.
Instead, he has demanded a “more determined policy” to guarantee the distribution of minors and that the conditions in which NGOs serve migrants can be supervised.
Luis Campos, spokesman for NC, has called for his “own policy” on immigration matters without assuming powers that are not his own, but evaluating whether the reception is adequate, whether minors must be exclusively taken care of or whether the means of rescue are adequate.
In this sense, he has indicated that the Statute is a “fundamental tool” and for this reason he has valued that the migratory crisis be part of the next Canary Islands-State bilateral commission.
REVERÓN (PP): “WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT WAITING FOR TO INTERVENE?”
Luz Reverón (PP) has said that the migratory debate in recent years “has been sterile” because the migratory rebound “caught the Government with the wrong foot”, as evidenced by the ‘overcrowding’ in the Arguineguín wharf, and the situation it aggravates.
The popular deputy has asked herself “what is the Government waiting for to intervene” and has asked the Canarian Executive “not to continue looking the other way in the face of the serious humanitarian crisis that the Canary Islands are experiencing.”
Teresa Cruz (PSOE) has said that migration cannot be “a trench and short-term policy” and understands that the pandemic, the humanitarian crisis in Africa, relations with Morocco and the diversion of routes are increasing arrivals on the islands.
He has asked the opposition to “put their shoulders to the wheel and look for solutions” and that the immigration law be modified so that there is a “solidarity distribution” of migrant minors, while at the same time he has made the PP ugly by “dismantling” the reception network of the archipelago.
