The president of the Canary Islands asserts that the archipelago is facing a “limited situation” with over 5,400 unaccompanied minors.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Oct. 2 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, appealed to the new European Commission on Wednesday to hasten the implementation of all the mechanisms outlined in the European Pact on Immigration and Asylum to tackle the significant rise in the number of boats and cayucos arriving via the ‘Atlantic Route’.
While speaking at the ‘Migration Task Force’ working group during the Conference of Peripheral and Maritime Regions (CRPM) summit, Clavijo emphasised that the archipelago requires “urgent responses” from Brussels to manage the “limiting humanitarian emergency situation,” particularly due to the solitary reception of over 5,400 unaccompanied migrant minors.
To support this issue, the archipelago will now share leadership with Valencia in the CPMR group focused on shaping the EU’s migration strategy.
Clavijo expressed his gratitude for this decision and is convinced that this new responsibility will enhance the Canary Islands’ ability to act in Brussels, according to an official communication from the Executive.
The leader of the autonomous Government also took the opportunity, during the Assembly of allied European territories held in Malta, to inform representatives about the migration crisis that the Canary Islands have been enduring for over a year “as the southern border of the EU.”
After noting that 70,000 migrants have landed on the Canary Islands’ shores in 2023 and thus far in 2024, Fernando Clavijo highlighted the high mortality rate associated with the ‘Atlantic Route,’ with over 21,000 official deaths over its 30-year history and many more unrecorded.
“Every 45 minutes, a person loses their life,” he lamented, referencing the tragedy that occurred last Saturday in El Hierro.
COOPERATION AT ORIGIN
The president of the Canary Islands conveyed to representatives from more than 100 European territories the overwhelming pressure that this migratory wave places on the services of the archipelago, prompting the Canary Islands to demand urgent assistance from the EU using all available mechanisms.
Particularly, to uphold the rights of children, of boys and girls “who are Canarian, Spanish and European.”
He requested that Europe take action on the ‘Atlantic Route’ similar to its interventions on the Mediterranean and Balkan routes.
Following his remarks at this CPMR working group, the highest representative of the autonomous Government seized the chance to present the ‘Tierra Firme’ project to the Canary Islands’ European territorial allies.
This pilot initiative, led by the archipelago in collaboration with the Spanish Government, the Government of Senegal, and the chambers of commerce, has realised the dual professional training of around 50 young individuals from the African nation.
Most of these individuals are already employed by partner companies.
In light of the “success” of ‘Tierra Firme’, Fernando Clavijo announced at the Malta summit that the Canary Islands will intensify its efforts in the coming months in cooperation with the countries of origin and transit of migration with a “much broader” initiative in Senegal, Mauritania, and Gambia.
INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE
The head of the regional government is convinced that initiatives such as the one led by the Canary Islands represent the most effective strategy to confront the demographic challenge “rather than erecting walls.”
In this regard, he urged the EU to bolster its projects on the ground in Africa and to involve the archipelago as a “gateway,” leveraging its historic relationships with numerous countries in Western Africa.
Fernando Clavijo’s statement this Thursday at the Conference of Regions summit is part of an international diplomatic strategy undertaken by the Government of the Canary Islands to raise global awareness about the migration crisis confronting the archipelago and to seek support to address it.
That same Tuesday, with this aim in mind, he met in Geneva with representatives from two UN agencies focused on asylum and the defence of children’s rights: UNHCR and Unicef.
Moreover, during his 14 months in office, he has held numerous discussions with key officials from the European Commission and the European Parliament.
Additionally, last January, he personally conveyed the “limiting” circumstances of the Canary Islands to the Pope in the Vatican. His Holiness has expressed his intention to visit the islands to better understand the situation.
