LA LAGUNA (TENERIFE), 13 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The President of the Canary Islands Government, Fernando Clavijo, expressed his wish this Friday that the Vice President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, who is due to visit the islands this Wednesday, will bring “solutions, empathy, and kindness” to the migration crisis currently affecting the Canary Islands.
Speaking to journalists prior to inaugurating the academic year at the University of La Laguna (ULL), he noted that the EU is “showing significant concern” regarding the situation following the correspondence he sent to the Commission’s President, Ursula Von der Leyen, and remarked on the “curious” fact that it is easier to gain an audience with the Pope or the EU than with the Spanish Government itself.
“I believe that the arrival of the European Union, particularly from the vice-president who can engage in discussions with us, and converse with volunteers and NGOs, is fantastic news because Europe typically arrives with solutions,” he stated.
In this context, he also expressed his hope that the central government will “respond and act on this issue.”
When asked about the new protocol issued by the Canary Islands Government for the reception of migrant minors, he indicated that it is designed to “ensure the safety of the children” as “it is not acceptable for children to be handed over to an NGO, or even to the autonomous community, without taking fingerprints, photographs, or any form of identification.”
According to Clavijo, “it is unacceptable that children eligible for political asylum from Mali were not recognised, and that the protocol was not activated for them.”
Therefore, given that the immigration situation “will become normal and structural”, it is a matter of “ensuring security” so that minors are safeguarded under the care or immediate attention of a public administration.
“It was done with the best of intentions. We would have preferred to have had more open communication with the Spanish Government to reach agreements, but if they are unwilling to meet, it becomes challenging for us to progress, and what we cannot do is turn a blind eye, because in these circumstances, inaction is also a decision,” he elaborated.
Clavijo emphasised that remaining “static means continuing to leave minors unprotected.”
