Santa Cruz de Tenerife 11 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The leader of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, expressed his concerns on Tuesday regarding a potential breakdown of services in El Hierro this summer, should a surge in immigration coincide with the weekend of the ‘Download of the Virgen de los Reyes’.
“It keeps me awake at night,” he admitted during the Plenary control session of the Parliament in response to a query posed by the Vox spokesperson, Nicasio Galván, who had asked if he was aware of the implications of a large influx of boats arriving during the festivities surrounding the Virgen del Hierro, along with the impact on the health and logistics systems in place there.
He stated that the healthcare services on El Hierro are “completely overwhelmed,” prompting him to urge the central government to establish a mobile hospital on the island specifically to cater to immigrants. “Tell your colleagues in Madrid to see if they can take action,” he remarked.
Clavijo highlighted the efforts his government has made to liaise with the central government and the EU to deter the arrival of Cayucos and Pateras, including three contentious-administrative cases lodged with the Supreme Court.
Galván (Vox) emphasised that the Canarian government needs to “apply pressure” from a diplomatic standpoint to both the national government and the EU, raising queries about whether the deployment of Frontex has been requested to patrol the African coasts, alongside whether immigration laws are being enforced and expulsion orders acted upon.
