The Arona City Council has moved two canoes that were used by migrants to reach the coasts of Canary Islands from the Las Galletas Pier to the facilities of the Port of Granadilla, where they will be destroyed. These boats were anchored a certain distance from the pier and their transfer has been authorized by the Central Government Sub-delegation in the province.
Workers from the Tragsa company, with the collaboration of the Marina at the Port of Las Galletas, carried out the arrival of the canoes to take them to the crane, which lifted and loaded the boats. Due to access conditions to the loading area, the Arona City Council, in coordination with Tragsa, decided to carry out this task at night to minimize interference with vehicle traffic in the area. It was necessary to regulate and restrict access to the pier so that the truck that transported the canoes could access the designated area by the Port Authority at the Port of Granadilla, for their subsequent disposal.
The work of the Arona municipal government (PP, Más por Arona, CC) has been “constant” in recent months to remove boats used by migrants coming from West Africa and ending up on the shores of Arona. In a statement, the southern City Council ensures that it has held meetings with various bodies of the Canary Islands Government and the Central Government for this purpose.
At the beginning of January, two other canoes were destroyed in compliance with a court order. These two boats had landed in Las Galletas in the first semester of 2023, so the legal responsibility lies with the municipality of Arona. Those rescued at sea, on the other hand, fall under the jurisdiction of the State.
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The mayor of Arona, Fátima Lemes, expressed her “concern” about the migrant crisis. “We prioritize people over any other consideration.” She added that “there have been numerous arrivals of canoes” on the shores of Arona, which is why she considers it “necessary” to dispose of these boats, “not only because of the space they occupy, but also because of the risk they pose in adverse weather conditions such as rough seas or similar.” “Furthermore, a situation of unhealthiness is being caused as it happened with the beach users of Las Galletas, preventing and hindering access and use of the bathing area,” she concluded.
