Dozens of abandoned boats and canoes gather in the ports of the Archipelago, along with pieces of soaked clothing, water bottles and gasoline cans. This is the trail left by the arrival of thousands of people from the African coasts through the Canary Islands route, one of the most dangerous and deadly. That footprint has become a common image on the docks since the last quarter of 2020, when in full pandemic The migratory flow towards the Archipelago was reactivated. The removal of the nacelles is the responsibility of the State, but it has not been responsible for this obligation that local administrations are assuming for years. This task has meant an extra cost for the coffers of the autonomous community of 843,587 euros since 2020.
From rusty and deflated inflatable boats to large, discolored canoes, to flimsy and threadbare boats, they are waiting to be removed and scrapped. The overcrowding of these boats in the ports represents a potential health, safety and environmental risk, in addition to deteriorating the image of the area and hindering the work of the fishing guilds, as it reduces space on the docks.
Two years ago, the Ministry of Public Works, Housing and Mobility offered the Government Delegation the possibility of signing an agreement for the removal of these boats from the ports that are under the responsibility of the autonomous community, but received a negative response. to this proposal. Since 2020, Puertos Canarios has invested a total of 200,000 euros in removing and scrapping boats and cayucos from the ports of Arguineguin (Gran Canaria) and La Restinga (The iron). That amount, which should be paid by the central Executive, is pending collection because, according to Ministry sources, the Government Delegation has not provided them with any administrative channel to send them the invoice and settle the debt.
The Port Authority of The Palms has allocated nearly 134,000 euros to cleaning, disinfection, fuel waste management, transportation and movement of boats, in addition to the money that the organization has stopped earning due to the occupation of the land in the Arinaga port (Gran Canaria) during these last three years. Added to this is that, on this same dock, there are currently around 130 boats accumulated. According to sources from the Port Authority of the eastern province, the cost of destroying them ranges between 600 and 1,000 euros, depending on the size of the vessel. Thus, managing these boats could reach 130,000 euros. At this moment, in port of Reef (Lanzarote) there is no boat left to withdraw and in the Puerto del Rosario (Fuerteventura) there is only one.
In the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerifethe Port Authority has spent 509,587 euros since 2020 to clear its ports, so far this year alone it has been 234,000 euros. The president of Puertos de Tenerife, Pedro Suárez, has assured that they will demand reimbursement of said amount from the Ministry of the Interior, “as it is not a task that corresponds to the port authority.” Among the tasks he has carried out are disinfection, cleaning and waste management; underwater hull and bilge inspection services, waterways. It has also carried out support work with personnel and maintenance means and high-capacity cranes have been used for lifting and transferring the canoe to the storage location. Furthermore, in the case of cayucos arriving at La Gomera (two so far) have been moved to Tenerife for destruction.
When the so-called cayuco crisis occurred and more than 31,000 people arrived to the Islands irregularly, in 2006, The Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero was in charge of the eviction of the boats from the coasts Canary Islands to the public company Tragsa. Now, the Executive of Pedro Sanchez ignores the requests of the local authorities and neglects its obligation to manage the abandoned boats in the ports of the Archipelago, which so far this year have received more than 15,000 people.
Tension in the SCS
Added to the economic burden of removing and dismantling the boats is the cost of health care for migrants, both on the beach and in the reference hospitals of the Archipelago. The increase in the arrival of migrants in an irregular situation by sea has posed a challenge for the health system at all levels: healthcare, logistical and organizational.
As soon as they arrive on land, everyone undergoes a general check-up by a multi-professional team from the Canary Islands Health System (SCS), who assesses whether their physical condition after the journey across the high seas is good. In this examination, chronic pathologies are evaluated and assistance is offered for incidents arising from the trip (dehydration, wounds, ulcers or infections…). If complications are detected, those affected are referred to the different health centers on the island where they have arrived. Furthermore, all pregnant women who arrive in Gran Canaria and Tenerife are transferred to the maternity hospital for a more in-depth examination of the mother and baby. This protocol cannot be applied in non-capital islands, as they do not have a specialized center.
In 2006, it was the State that subsidized the hiring of doctors and nurses to carry out medical check-ups on the beach and the Red Cross channeled the aid and coordination of health personnel. As of 2009, when it was considered that the Canary Islands route was closed, the agreement with the NGO was terminated and it is the SCS that begins to assume this task, since Health is the responsibility of the autonomous community.
The Government of the Canary Islands protects more than 2,500 migrant children and young people who have arrived in the Islands without the support of an adult. The custody of abandoned minors is the responsibility of the autonomous communities, which must assume the financing of their care. The regulations are designed to care for homeless children and adolescents born in the region, but it does not contemplate that a community has to respond alone to an exceptional situation such as that experienced by the Archipelago with migrant minors. In March, the Government Council authorized a sum of 17 million to cover the expenses derived from the operation of the juvenile centers and the Minister of Social Welfare, Candelaria Delgado, has urged the central government to distribute proportionally among the autonomies that are Southern border of Europe and Spain –Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands– the 20 million pending for the care of migrant children and young people. | ID
