Amid the ongoing process of relocating migrant minors arriving in the Canary Islands, the far-right politician Santiago Abascal has called on Thursday to “sink” and “confiscate” the Open Arms vessel which arrived last Wednesday on the coast of Tenerife. In his message published on social media platform X, the leader of VOX referred to the NGO’s ship, which provides humanitarian aid in the Mediterranean, as a “slave ship.”
In another of the numerous attempts by the party to inject its racist rhetoric into the migration debate, Abascal spoke of the “invasion of Europe.” He cautioned, “Let this serve as a warning about what awaits all billionaires and politicians who promote the invasion of Europe.”
Shortly thereafter, the director of the NGO responded with the following words: “To say that a ship saving lives should be sunk is pure fascism.”
The vessel has docked at the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife eight years after the then—and current—president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, negotiated with the NGO for the establishment of a base and the deployment of a boat in the islands.
The ship will remain in port until 2nd September, as reported by the Port Authority. It is an old salvage tug. Furthermore, its arrival coincides with a time of year when an increase in the arrival of small boats is expected, during which negotiations with the Canary Islands government are ongoing.
