SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 27 September (EUROPA PRESS) –
The leader of the European delegation of Vox, Jorge Buxadé, expressed this Friday that “the influx” of migrants to the Canary Islands persists despite four months of discussions aimed at reaching an agreement regarding unaccompanied minors. Therefore, he asserted that it is time to “organise” direct flights from the islands to Brussels.
“This morning, 369 undocumented migrants departed on flights to Madrid. Why not send them to Brussels instead? When they arrive at the airport, they can take a bus and be dropped off at the entrance of the European Commission where Von der Leyen works. There you go,” he remarked during a press conference alongside MEP Fabrice Leggeri of the ‘Patriots for Europe’ group.
He articulated that “everything would transform” if those making decisions “had to experience” the consequences of unlawful immigration, which has facilitated a “business model” enabling NGOs and criminal organisations to profit.
Buxadé stressed the necessity of “preventing the mass influx” of migrants as true “solidarity” with the Canary Islands.
“It is not merely about everyone arriving, while we request funds from Brussels and redistribute them across the Peninsula; that creates a pull effect, without a doubt,” he highlighted, concurrently critiquing the European Commission’s recent announcement to allocate an extra 14 million euros to the Canary Islands for immigration management, as this is “broadcasted in real-time on the Facebook” of migrants awaiting on the African coastline.
He emphasised the importance of identifying a “pragmatic solution” that ensures migrants “do not leap into the sea” and prevents them from “entering” the country, while also questioning “who funds all of this,” since it comes from the pockets of all European citizens.
Leggeri, who previously directed Frontex, commented on the prevailing “migration disorder,” particularly in the Canary Islands, yet acknowledges that there are “opportunities” to enhance the situation by preventing the exodus of immigrants from their home countries.
He pointed out that the “ideology promoted by the left,” with backing from the centre and right, is “catastrophic,” as it concentrates on welcoming migrants when “international maritime law permits the return of rescued individuals to their countries of origin.”
In this regard, he highlighted that the ‘Canary route’ is “lethal” and those embarking in small boats “face a significant risk” of perishing, thus urging not to focus solely on “the financial costs” of immigration but rather on the “policies” one wishes to pursue.
Consequently, he commended the approach of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who has successfully curbed the number of migrants entering her nation through cooperation with neighbouring countries and a “stricter policy” at the borders.
“The EU must embrace Meloni’s strategies,” he indicated, asserting that the ‘Patriots for Europe’ group, along with conservatives, possesses the capacity to alter European migration policy.
