SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 23 April (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Canary Islands government and representatives of the parliamentary factions have solidified their partnership on Tuesday, with Vox’s dissent, to push for a legal reform ensuring the distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors among all autonomous regions.
President Fernando Clavijo has presented the draft legislation put forth by the State to the parties represented in the Regional Chamber and has garnered wide support for the proposed changes by the technical team of the Canary Islands Executive to expedite their implementation.
Following the meeting at the Parliament headquarters, Clavijo expressed gratitude to the parliamentary groups that endorsed the Canarian Migration Pact – all except Vox – for their collaboration and backing in achieving a regulatory amendment that will cap the hosting of migrant minors in the archipelago at 3,000.
Once this threshold is exceeded, the State will be mandated to distribute the migrants “by law and not on a voluntary basis” among the other autonomous communities.
The Canary Islands president affirmed that the spokespersons have received this proposal with “overall satisfaction”, as it includes provisions for the central government to ensure “financial sufficiency” to cover the entire process of minor distribution.
“We now have a document set in stone,” he emphasised, “a proposal that seemed unattainable months ago and is now a reality thanks to the collective efforts and dialogue.”
Nonetheless, Clavijo clarified that the Government and the majority of the parliamentary factions believe the proposal “could still be enhanced”, hence the spokespersons endorsing the ongoing technical efforts to finalise “a more comprehensive text” within a maximum period of 15 days.
TRANSPARENT NEGOTIATIONS
Among the improvements being negotiated by the regional Executive with the State is the insistence that the modification to Article 35 of the Immigration Law be enacted via a decree-law rather than a bill as proposed by the Government. “We believe our approach is quicker and equally legally sound,” the president explained.
Processing a bill in the Cortes takes “at least three months,” he noted, whereas a decree-law becomes effective immediately and only requires subsequent validation by the Congress and the Senate.
The head of the autonomous Government stressed the importance of this speed, considering the potential surge in migration pressure with the arrival of summer, prompting the Canary Islands to address a system currently accommodating nearly 5,500 minors.
Additionally, Clavijo accentuated that the parliamentary spokespersons have demonstrated “complete unity” in supporting the Canary Islands Government’s proposal that the State be responsible for assigning migrant minors to each autonomous community from the moment of their rescue or arrival on the Canarian shores.
The president underscored that this system “better” safeguards the minors’ rights and will prevent delays in the distribution process due to factors like age assessment tests.
CONSTITUTIONAL COURT CHALLENGES
Fernando Clavijo commended the parliamentary factions for their efforts since the signing of the Canary Islands Pact for Migration in October last year, enabling negotiations with the State on this legislative change with a “clear mandate” from nearly the entire Regional chamber.
At the session held at Parliament on Tuesday, the president was joined by Vice President Manuel Domínguez, Social Rights Counselor Candelaria Delgado, and Vice Counselor of the Presidency Alfonso Cabello.
Representing the parliamentary factions were Sebastián Franquis (PSOE), José Miguel Barragán (CC), Luz Reverón (PP), Luis Campos (NC-BC), Nicasio Galván (Vox), Casimiro Curbelo (ASG), and Raúl Acosta ( THERE).
Franquis aligned with the central government’s bill approach deeming it “safer”, citing uncertainties regarding potential challenges to a decree-law, while Galván (Vox) once again opposed the measure, arguing that both governments are essentially “offloading a problem” onto the rest of the Peninsula.
According to Galván, this would exacerbate the “pull factor” and fortify the criminal organisations’ exploitative practices, likening it to the final phase of the “terror package vacation.”
Moreover, he called for greater “aid at the source” to African nations and the promotion of repatriation agreements, hinting at potential appeals to the Constitutional Court against the decree-law.
