SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 6 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Ministry of Defence has presented the Government of the Canary Islands with the military locations of the Cristo barracks and the Polvorín de Taco, situated in the municipality of La Laguna, to enhance the reception network for unaccompanied migrant minors.
The utilisation of military facilities had been requested by the Canarian Executive several months ago due to the rise in the number of small boats and cayucos arriving on the islands, and this culminated on Thursday afternoon with a proposal sent by the minister, Margarita Robles, to the regional president, Fernando Clavijo.
In this context, Unidas se Puede, the opposition political faction within the La Laguna City Council, has insisted on the need for “transparency and information”, highlighting that the derelict military premises do not satisfy the “suitable conditions” necessary for accommodating individuals, considering the climate and their poor state of maintenance.
Councillor Rubens Ascanio remarked, “it appears that La Laguna is once again tasked with a responsibility significantly larger than that faced by other municipalities, positioning us as the locality with the most substantial reception facilities in the archipelago.”
His associate, Idaira Afonso, is advocating for an information meeting to involve municipal political groups, neighbourhood associations, the Ministry, and the Council – which is engaged in the process of acquiring the Cristo – and for community engagement initiatives to be resumed and strengthened to foster “suitable coexistence”.
“As previously stated regarding the accommodation of minors in the CATE of Las Raíces, abandoned military facilities do not fulfil the requirements to properly cater to a particularly vulnerable demographic that necessitates much closer and more targeted support,” he states.
