Santa Cruz de Tenerife 12 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The Ministry of Social Welfare of the Canary Islands Government is currently assessing the decision of the Constitutional Court, which partially annulled the protocol concerning unaccompanied migrants. They emphasise that this ruling has facilitated improved coordination among the various parties involved, ensuring that the minors arriving on the islands’ shores receive better attention upon their arrival.
Sources from the department consulted by Europa Press stress that the Canary Islands “cannot bear alone” the responsibility of receiving and caring for these minors. To uphold all their rights, collaboration from other autonomous regions and national authorities is essential.
Consequently, they remark, “we are actively negotiating with the State for a specific short-term distribution and a medium-term legislative reform that allows us to ensure the dignity of all minors arriving in the Canary Islands.”
Currently, the Canarian government operates 86 open migrant centres and has received approximately 5,790 minors, maintaining effective coordination with both immigration and prosecution services.
Additionally, the Executive continues to seek “involvement” from the State and the extra funding that was promised by the central government, which includes an additional €50 million on top of the initial €50 million that has yet to be received.