VALVERDE (EL HIERRO), 30 Aug. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Third Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, underscored this Friday the “solidarity and compassion” exhibited by the residents of El Hierro in their reception of migrants, whose numbers have surged this summer.
After an inspection of the port of La Restinga to witness the care provided to migrants first-hand, she expressed her gratitude for the dedication and effort of the national security forces and organisations, including the Civil Guard, the National Police, the Maritime Rescue Service, and Red Cross volunteers, among others, “who assist those arriving under particularly harsh and difficult circumstances and endeavour to ensure that everything proceeds in the most humane manner possible.”
She recognised that the migration crisis in the Canary Islands represents one of the “major challenges” confronting the Government, emphasising that El Hierro, in this particular context, “requires not only the backing of other regional administrations and the national Government, but also a European response that the Government has been pursuing for a considerable time.”
The minister noted that it was “alarming” to observe the canoes “up close” when nearly 500 individuals arrived on the island this Thursday.
