SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 16 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The leader of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Rosa Dávila, acknowledged this Wednesday that the immigration strategy of “border closure” implemented by Italy’s president, Giorgia Meloni, is proving to be “more effective” than that employed in the Canary Islands, though she believes one must wait for the ultimate stance taken by the EU in response to a letter from the President of the Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, which urged member states to consider establishing centres for migrants in third countries.
“I think that first we need to ascertain the position of the European Union itself, and whether it can endorse this approach to deportations. The situation is intricate; in any case, the solution is not for the Canary Islands to become the deportation centre, because at present we are merely a holding centre, a graveyard for migrants, and a genuine prison, where both the European Union and the Spanish Government have decided to detain migrants, and this is not a healthy method for integrating those who seek opportunities,” she remarked during an interview with ‘Radio Club Tenerife’, as reported by Europa Press.
Dávila emphasised that the Canary Islands are “overwhelmed” by the need to assist migrants who are “perishing daily” in the archipelago’s waters, and questions whether “the alternative to the Meloni system” is that “individuals die at sea,” which is occurring in the region.
Indeed, she highlighted that the Canary Islands are regarded as a supposed “third state” by the Spanish Government because “they have them secluded here,” whereas what is required is a redistribution across the country to promote “emptied Spain” and facilitate a proper “inclusion and integration process.”
“I neither need to endorse nor reject it; we will simply adhere to what the European Union dictates,” she clarified.
PEDRO MARTÍN: “IT IS IRRESPONSIBILITY”
The leader of the Socialist Group in the Cabildo of Tenerife, Pedro Martín, has called for a retraction. Dávila “has become the first president of the Cabildo of Tenerife who, in a democratic context, embraces the rhetoric of the far-right.”
Martín states in a notice that her stance “is irresponsible; the only solution she proposes aligns with that of Vox, while also making baseless claims and failing to take any real commitment.”
“Currently, the majority of migrants arriving in the Canary Islands are adults. Hence, the responsibility of the Spanish Government is to facilitate their transfer to the mainland or return them to their home nations on repatriation flights, which is being adhered to. In the case of minors, the onus falls on the autonomous communities. Months ago, Minister Ángel Víctor Torres presented a solution to assist the Canary Islands Government and alleviate the overcrowding we face on the islands: to amend the Immigration Law,” he elaborated.
He further indicated that “the minors would be mandatorily transferred to other autonomous communities, and the necessary financial provisions would be allocated to ensure they are well cared for at their new locations.”
What occurs, he continued, is that “the Popular Party opposed this remedy, and the Canary Coalition has been unable to enforce the agreement made between the Spanish Government and the Canary Islands Government.”
Regarding this issue, “Rosa Dávila remains silent because she relies on the PP to maintain her presidency in the Cabildo, which is why she diverts attention with proposals that no one has requested,” he explained.
The general secretary of the Tenerife socialists has urged the president of the Cabildo of Tenerife to “persuade” her coalition partners to support the modification of the Immigration Law, as suggested by the Spanish Government and Minister Ángel Víctor Torres, so that unaccompanied minors arriving on the islands can be transferred to the mainland, “a step that the Popular Party has consistently refused to take.”
The Socialist Group in the Cabildo does not comprehend “the drift of the Canarian Coalition towards extremist right-wing positions, particularly since just last week the president herself suggested renaming a Francoist monument to preserve it, aligning herself with the far-right agenda of Vox.”
