Santa Cruz de Tenerife 19 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The State Government, the Cabildo de El Hierro and the City Council of El Pinar are currently addressing privately owned lands.
“We are currently assessing the potential administrative approach,” stated the island president, Alpidio Armas, who expressed hope that the process will conclude “shortly.” These comments were made during a visit by the Minister of State for Migration, Pilar Cancela, to the area.
According to the Cabildo, Cancela has toured the restinga to observe the current migrant reception point and alternative locations on some land behind the port facilities. The goal is to “minimise the presence of migration infrastructure and reduce visual impact as much as possible.”
The Secretary of State’s visit followed a request from the president of the Cabildo de El Hierro, Alpidio Armas, and the mayor of El Pinar, Juan Miguel Padrón, who sought solutions to enhance the image of this fishing and tourist hub in the south of El Hierro, particularly concerning the occupation of over half of the dock by containers for initial migrant reception.
“(Such a situation) is not only confined to visual disruption but also affects the lack of space for fishing and diving vessels, posing issues of operability and anchorage,” Alpidio Armas noted in his statement.
The island president has urged migration officials to improve health and hygiene standards linked to the arrival of the Cayucos, “some of which are in very poor condition or half-sunken, similar to one seen a few days ago, as well as the disturbances caused by noise and unpleasant odours, affecting both the local community and visitors.”
During this visit, the “urgent need” to take action was emphasised, given that the “migratory phenomenon is having evident negative repercussions of a social and economic nature that impacts the lifestyle of its residents.”
