SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 22 Aug. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, are convening this Friday in La Palma to primarily discuss the migration crisis affecting the archipelago. This meeting comes just days before Sánchez embarks on an official visit to Gambia, Mauritania, and Senegal.
The gathering, which takes place during the president’s summer break that has brought him to the ‘beautiful island’ from Lanzarote, is scheduled at the island’s State Administration headquarters in the capital of La Palma, commencing at 11.30 am and expected to run initially for an hour.
The Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, will also be in attendance and is anticipated to address the media following the conclusion of the meeting.
Clavijo requested this meeting several days ago due to the mounting concerns surrounding the care of unaccompanied migrant minors, currently over 5,200, who are accommodated in more than 80 facilities across the archipelago, all nearing their full capacity.
Furthermore, there has been a surge in the number of boats arriving at the islands throughout the summer, with nearly 500 landing just on Thursday.
The Canarian president plans to utilise this meeting to reiterate his request for the president to sanction a decree law mandating the distribution of migrant minors to other autonomous communities once the capacity of the archipelago’s reception system is surpassed, especially since the immigration law reform failed in Congress.
Clavijo is also hopeful to address additional topics during the meeting, including adherence to the ‘Canarian agenda’ and discussions regarding the General State Budget for next year.