SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 21 Aug (EUROPA PRESS) –
The secretary of organisation for CC, David Toledo, expressed on Wednesday that the Canary Islands are still confronting the influx of irregular migrants “alone”, with a 126% rise compared to 2023, “in light of the baffling inaction of the Spanish Government and the European Union.”
In his statement, the nationalist reminded that the migration issue is a persistent reality “and we cannot rely on a temporary solution that, in some instances, is ineffective, particularly regarding the care for unaccompanied minors.”
“75% of migrants arriving in Spain by sea do so through the Canary Islands, undertaking the perilous Atlantic crossing, and we remain unaware of the number of lives lost along this route,” he emphasised.
He remarked that this situation persists despite the initiatives of the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, “to create channels of communication and cooperative efforts both within the framework of the Spanish state and that of the European Union, aimed at implementing a robust policy of collaboration with originating countries to prevent this mass exodus.”
Toledo also underscored “Clavijo’s commitment in recent months to reach an agreement that would enable amendments to the Immigration Act and establish a system for the distribution of unaccompanied minors that aligns with the dignity these children deserve.”
“These are crucial issues for the future economic and social advancement of Spain, which appear to have been relegated to the sidelines, overshadowed by the disputes in the capital, Madrid, between the left and right, while this challenge is being managed with attention from the centre towards the periphery,” he asserted.
For this reason, “it is perplexing that Pedro Sánchez, while on holiday in Lanzarote, one of the islands where the most boats arrive, has not dedicated even an hour to meet with the Canarian president, Fernando Clavijo, or visit the La Mareta palace to grasp the realities at the dock where numerous volunteers devote their time and compassion to assist these individuals, amidst limited resources.”
On the contrary, “he finds the time to engage in discussions with the newly appointed president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, who was hosted in Lanzarote recently and received with protocol at Moncloa. This indicates that Sánchez, at present, is solely concerned with Catalonia, forsaking the reality that the Canarians must confront,” he lamented.
