SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 15 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The spokesperson for Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista (NC-BC), Luis Campos, stated on Monday that the introduction of the bill for immigration law reform in the Congress of Deputies is forcing all parties to “reveal their true intentions and put an end to the excuses of the PP” to avoid the mandatory distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors across all regions of the country.
Campos called for greater participation from regional governments as the humanitarian crisis involving the 5,600 young individuals taken in by public authorities in the Canary Islands “persists.”
He reiterated the call to the national government, specifically to the Ministry of Defence, to release some unused infrastructures to ensure the rights of minors are protected with guarantees amidst the increasing arrivals of vessels from Africa during calm weather conditions.
“It’s time for each party to take a stance,” said Luis Campos upon hearing about the registration, in the Lower House, of the bill for the amendment of article 35 of the immigration law, a compromise reached between the national and Canary Islands governments.
Progressive Canarianism backs the processing of the legislative proposal while acknowledging that a decree law was always deemed the preferred route.
In this context, Campos recalled that during the previous term, Nueva Canarias-BC already highlighted the necessity to proceed with a revision of the national regulation and, in October last year, contributed to the inclusion of this proposal in the Canary Islands pact on migration.
According to the parliamentary spokesperson of NC-BC, “there are no longer any justifications” with regard to the PP.
Consequently, considering that the debate on the bill’s evaluation, which would mark the commencement of its processing under urgent procedures, is scheduled to take place during the plenary session on 23 July, “the moment of truth has arrived,” he emphasised.
Campos urged the PP to forego “tactics and insincere rhetoric, one for the Canary Islands and another for the country”, and participate in a reform with “the enhancements they wish to suggest and agree upon.”
Continuing along these lines, he underscored that the Canary Islands are currently bearing the brunt of the humanitarian crisis almost single-handedly and cautioned that Ceuta, Melilla, and Andalusia are at risk of once again experiencing a surge in migrant inflows.
Hence, he demanded increased engagement from regional governments, as committing to accommodating 347 young individuals, as decided in the sector conference last week in Santa Cruz de Tenerife following the unmet agreement from last October’s conference, is deemed “inadequate.”
The spokesperson for the Canary Islands also deemed it “inexplicable” that the national Administration, especially the Ministry of Defence, is unwilling to release some of the available unused facilities on the islands.
