SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 7 Jan (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Canary Islands’ Government, Fernando Clavijo, expressed his disappointment this Tuesday regarding the “lack of interest” demonstrated by the central government in addressing the migration crisis affecting the islands, as it has been 21 days without a response to the decree proposed by his administration.
“He appears uninterested in resolving the issue,” he stated during an interview with ‘Radio Club Tenerife’, reported by Europa Press, emphasising that “there is nothing, no legislation” preventing the Spanish Government from “taking action”, since it is protected by both the Constitution and immigration law.
Clavijo finds it incomprehensible that the ministry led by Ángel Víctor Torres or “an entire president of the Spanish Government” is “unable” to “draft a single line regarding their opinion” on the decree law, particularly when over 4,000 migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands over the past 21 days, and estimates suggest that around 600 individuals may have perished during the journey to the archipelago.
“This is not a random occurrence; when they are interested, they visit other locations to meet with political leaders. When there is a genuine desire to resolve issues, a proactive approach is taken by the Spanish Government,” he pointed out.
Nevertheless, he stated that his Government will “continue to work” and will convene, if necessary, the parliamentary groups to garner support for the forthcoming decree law, citing the “partnership” established with the Basque Country to facilitate the distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors.
The Canarian president remarked that Junts “has consistently voiced support for an extraordinary distribution” and finds it “absurd” and “childish” that the Government has yet to engage with the Catalan party. “Is the issue Junts, the Canary Islands, or Spain?” he questioned.
He has criticised Torres, who has been president of the Canary Islands, for showing “minimal interest” in resolving the immigration crisis. Consequently, he announced plans to arrange another meeting at the Canary Islands Government office in Madrid, so that Junts spokesperson, Miriam Nogueras, can “convey that she supports an extraordinary distribution”, which he deems “logical”, given that an independence party opposes amending article 35 of the immigration law to prevent State intervention.
“In my country, I have already made my decision, which is why there are calls for the transfer of immigration powers; that is the framework and I understand it,” he noted, thus the Canary Islands are pursuing the extraordinary avenue of the decree law “in light of the refusals, incompetence, and inaction of the Spanish Government”.
