SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 12 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Minister of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Children and Families, Candelaria Delgado, has requested from the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, during an online meeting on Tuesday, the release of the outstanding 100 million euros to support the over 5,300 unaccompanied migrant minors currently under the care of the Executive.
Sandra Rodríguez, the director of Child and Family Protection, highlighted the extremely complex humanitarian crisis affecting the Canary Islands, noting that there is no remaining infrastructure available to establish additional reception facilities.
“We require resources not only to care for these minors but also for all autonomous communities to operate responsibly and accommodate these individuals to ensure their full integration,” Rodríguez emphasized.
During the meeting, the minister also pointed out the necessity to link the applications for the Canary Islands Citizenship Income and the Minimum Living Income in order to enhance the effectiveness of both benefits. She stressed the urgency of updating national legislation to allow the Canary Islands to regulate additional support for recipients of non-contributory pensions.
“To make progress in the introduction of a supplement for non-contributory pensions in the Canary Islands, without adversely affecting the recipients, the State must urgently proceed with the reform of the General Social Security Law,” explained the regional minister of Social Welfare in the context of a working session with the national counterpart in Social Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
Therefore, she remarked, “we have reminded the State of the necessity to promptly modify state regulations so that the Canary Islands Executive can establish the supplement to the non-contributory pension (PNC), and they have responded affirmatively, indicating their intention to address this reform soon”.
Delgado clarified that the Canary Islands are already in the process of implementing the supplement to non-contributory pensions as stipulated in the Canarian Citizenship Income Law but added that “for this to be effective, the State must take the necessary steps”.
Additionally, during the meeting, the importance of linking the applications for the Canarian Citizenship Income and Minimum Living Income was reiterated, aiming to create an automated information system that connects with the State Public Employment Service (SEPE).
ACCELERATE THE PROCESSING
“This step would facilitate the expedited processing of aid and ensure it reaches those who need it most. Sharing information is critical to guarantee that the minimum vital income is provided to those in the Canary Islands who require it, allowing the Canarian income to complement it effectively,” Delgado pointed out.
In this regard, Elisabet Santana, the general director of Social Services and Immigration, explained that the Canarian Citizenship Income should serve to supplement the Minimum Vital Income, “thus ensuring more adequate incomes that enhance the lives of vulnerable individuals in the Canary Islands”.
Currently, approximately 13,000 individuals in the Canary Islands benefit from this assistance, which affects a larger number of households, as many recipients are adults with dependent minors, according to a statement from the Ministry.
To advance this initiative, both organisations are set to convene a bilateral commission soon.
