SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Nov. 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Canary Islands have received the “support and encouragement” of the other Outermost Regions (ORP) of the European Union due to the migratory crisis that the archipelago is suffering, which so far this year has recorded the irregular arrival of almost 32,000 migrants from of the African continent. For this reason, they have appealed to the solidarity of the rest of the Union and have asked for greater efforts to redistribute migrants.
In the press conference after the signing of the XVIII Declaration of the XVIII Conference of Presidents of the ORs, the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, valued the support of the rest of the ORs, but clarified that the situation that regions like the Canary Islands are experiencing is a matter that concerns the 27 Member States. Therefore, he hopes that the Pact on Migration and Asylum can be closed before the next European elections are held.
For her part, the president of the Regional Council of Reunion Island, Huguette Bello, who will now assume the Presidency of the ORs, agreed that migration policy goes beyond the powers of these regions, although she recognized that countries like France , Spain or Portugal are already taking “drastic” measures to control migration. Thus, she explained that in the case of France, its Immigration Law is going to be examined and Germany has just made “big decisions.”
Huguette Bello explained that, in addition to the Canary Islands, other outermost regions such as Mayotte are also suffering a wave of mass migration of the population of Comoros or Madagascar and recognized that on Reunion Island they also see the tragedy of the thousands of migrants who die in the sea during the journey trying to reach the islands, or that of the thousands of migrant minors who are currently in the care of the autonomous community.
For this reason, he considers that the rich countries of the European Union could “make an effort” to distribute the load of migrants who are arriving in the Canary Islands, which does not have sufficient resources to cope with their reception. Thus, he stressed that migration is the drama of the countries of the South and believes that this is where Europe should help more through greater regional cooperation.
“We are humanists and we have the right not to close our eyes, much less Europe, which is a rich territory. We must also help poor people, people who come from countries where Europe monopolizes its wealth,” Bello concluded.
