SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE Nov. 5 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The managing director of Save the Children, Andrés Conde, has urged this Tuesday for “shared responsibility” and a “willingness to receive” from both the Government and regional communities to enhance the assistance for unaccompanied migrant minors and ease the “overcrowding” faced by the Canary Islands, which currently has approximately 6,000 minors under care.
Speaking to reporters following a meeting with the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, he highlighted that while his organisation is “overwhelmed and burdened” by the repercussions of DANA in Valencia, it has not overlooked the “ongoing humanitarian disaster” affecting the Canary Islands due to the migratory route, with 55 individuals reported dead or missing last weekend.
He praised the willingness of the Canarian Government to collaborate in managing migration with a “pragmatic political approach” and a commitment to “human rights”, emphasising that “it is vital” to implement “structural solutions” to this issue, “regardless of the Government in charge.”
Conde has called for the creation of a “new paradigm of child protection” and revealed that a tailored care project will soon commence on the islands, in partnership with other organisations, as they frequently feel “overburdened” by challenges related to social welfare or mental health.
Consequently, he mentioned that a project will be initiated involving specific interviews in their native languages to “identify vulnerabilities” and fine-tune the immigration project for minors when planning future relocations.
He acknowledged that the political landscape in Spain is “complicated” for achieving “consensus” but believes it is “essential” as the phenomenon of migration will persist over time and will have repercussions for all administrations and political parties.
“The Canary Islands are doing everything within their power, but we require a broader commitment; this is a collective issue, not solely the responsibility of the Canary Islands,” he asserted.
He also pointed out that administrative processes for granting asylum, for instance, “are prolonged due to a lack of willingness to accommodate these individuals,” hence it is necessary to “continue advocating” because these individuals “possess rights” and their numbers are “perfectly manageable.”
