SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 11th Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The organizational secretary of Coalición Canaria (CC), David Toledo, has urged on Thursday for swift action on the reform of immigration laws to make the transfer of migrant minors mandatory through a decree as soon as possible.
“The Canary Islands are in urgent need, the minors can’t wait, they are arriving and require immediate attention,” she stated in a press release, where she defended her party’s and the Canary Islands Government’s ‘road map’ in the face of the inaction of the ‘Pacto de Las Flores’ towards the central Government, “while the resources of the islands for the reception of children were depleting and, more alarmingly, reaching a breaking point.”
Additionally, he reminded that CC had made its support for Pedro Sánchez’s investiture conditional on this legislative reform as the Canary Islands cannot handle this migration phenomenon “on its own.”
“This is not a temporary issue, migration movements are a permanent presence,” he added.
Toledo also commended the efforts of the Canarian Government in facilitating meetings with the Pope, commissioners, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, European officials and institutions, gatherings with other autonomous communities presidents, and working sessions with the State, town councils, island councils and NGOs.
“We are in a better position now than we were six months ago because we now have a coherent document, a proposal concocted by the legal teams of the Governments of the Canary Islands and Spain, which has evolved into a starting point for negotiations, and which the Canary Islands’ President presented to all political parties in the Congress of Deputies,” he said.
With regards to the Sectoral Conference held on Wednesday, he welcomed the approval for the relocation of 357 minors from the islands, “but this is just a first step, inadequate for the response that needs to be given to the nearly 6,000 unaccompanied minors currently housed in facilities that do not meet the necessary protection standards.”
URGES PP TO TAKE A SUPPORTIVE STANCE
As per the Organizational Secretary, the PP, a part of the Canary Islands Government and having worked within the Government based on these principles, “must take a stand in support of rectifying this situation in the Canary Islands, which would also enable, through legal modifications, ensuring a solution for any community facing overwhelming demand for services for minors in need, for those vulnerable children.”
In relation to Vox’s statements of intent, David Toledo emphasized that “their words speak for themselves” because it is not a “political or territorial issue” but a “humanitarian crisis that requires immediate attention, and we must continue to advocate for both Spain and Europe to act and promote a foreign and migration policy to prevent mass exodus via maritime routes.”
Toledo also highlighted the presence of a refugee camp in Mauritania hosting over 300,000 Malians fleeing from war “waiting to embark on a journey” and urged other parties “to rise to the challenge of the humanitarian crisis unfolding on the islands.”
“If they persist in turning a blind eye or delaying decision-making, the consequences will be dire and others will have to step up and assume responsibility,” concludes the organizational secretary.
