SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 29 September (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister for Social Welfare of the Canary Islands Government, Candelaria Delgado, has urged the Spanish Government and the European Union to implement essential measures for the relocation of unaccompanied migrant minors, not only to other autonomous communities but also across the wider European continent.
This statement was made during a media briefing after her visit to the Island alongside the Minister for Territorial Policy, Territorial Cohesion and Water, who is responsible for Emergencies, Manuel Miranda, to assess the situation following the shipwreck that occurred in the early hours of yesterday and to collaborate with local authorities on the Island.
Candelaria Delgado emphasised that this tragic incident should prompt both the State and the EU to recognise that “it is time to activate all protocols for relocating minors to other autonomous communities and to the rest of Europe, addressing this humanitarian crisis which, if projections hold true, is set to become the most severe in the last 30 years in the Canary Islands.”
The councillor reported that the Civil Guard plans to set up a cold tent today to accommodate the bodies of the missing migrants that may be recovered. Additionally, a forensic team has dispatched an extra assistant to the Island to facilitate autopsies, and approvals are underway for the burial of the nine deceased migrants.
Delgado also mentioned that the minors among the 27 survivors are now in a shelter under the Ministry’s supervision, and the Canarian Police will collect them for their proper identification, in accordance with the protocol established by the national framework.
When asked about the potential halting of recreational diving activities in proximity to the port of La Estaca, the councillor clarified that this responsibility lies with the town councils and the Cabildo, rather than the Government of the Canary Islands.
