The expression “compelling solidarity” was the protagonist this Friday of the short migration mini-summit in the Canary Islands between several ministers, the autonomous government and the EU Interior Commissioner. Ylva Johansson told the media in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria that she trusts that the Council and the EU Parliament will accept in the negotiations on the migration and asylum pact this Monday and Tuesday that there is a “binding solidarity” between the Member States will help alleviate the migratory pressure suffered by countries such as Spain and Italy. “The Canary Islands are not alone; “Spain is not alone,” said the Commissioner. “We are together, European responsibility requires a European response” to confront the “deadliest” migration route in existence and on which, according to its own calculations, at least 7,500 people have lost their lives since 2020.
Other participants, the Minister of the Interior Fernando Grande-Marlaska and the Canary Islands Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, also referred to the same idea, but applied it to the Autonomous Communities. The mandatory solidarity to welcome unaccompanied migrant children arriving in the Canary Islands is also included in the plans of the Spanish executive, both assured. “This circumstance is stipulated in the investiture pact” between the PSOE and the Canary Islands coalition, recalled the Interior Minister. “And it will be the seat of Parliament that will take the floor.” In fact, the President of the Canary Islands has stated that the executive is preparing a proposal that will culminate in early 2024
The celebration of the meeting in the Canary Islands, which was also attended by the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz; and the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, reacts to the unprecedented increase in arrivals registered in the archipelago in 2023 (35,410 people in the first 11 months). The focus was on the situation of the almost 5,000 underage migrants on the Canary Islands, which is overwhelming the regional executive – which is their guardian – and is costing the regional coffers nine million euros per month. “And that without taking the integration plans into account,” explained Clavijo.
During the joint appearance before the media this Friday, Grande-Marlaska highlighted the joint efforts with other countries to contain the route. According to their data, in the last two months, 46% of arrivals were prevented from reaching the Canary Islands after 59 cayucos carrying 7,213 immigrants leaving African shores were intercepted. This was made possible by the two surveillance strengthening aircraft – one on the coast of Senegal and one in the Canary Islands – announced by the minister himself during his last visit to the islands in October. The new Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Pensions, Elma Saiz, has announced that the sector conference on migration will take place later this year.
This Friday's meeting was originally scheduled for November 20, but was interrupted due to the lack of a quorum among the representatives of the autonomous communities and cities, since then less than half of the participants could attend. Elma Saiz took advantage of her first visit to the Canary Islands after taking office to thank the various administrations and social institutions for their cooperation in dealing with the migration crisis. “I can assure you that on this occasion we have acted very effectively thanks to a very strengthened and very humanitarian comprehensive reception network, which has responded not only with a greater number of resources but also with significantly improved protocols for identifying victims. “Human trafficking, torture, gender-based violence, minors, etc.
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According to the Ministry of Inclusion, there are currently 2,400 people still in the resources in the Canary Islands, about 35% of the islands' capacity, and around 14,000 transfers have been made to the peninsula and the network (both are applicants for international applications). (Protection and temporary protection, as in humanitarian assistance) accommodates 39,000 people throughout the territory.
Albares praises Senegal's help
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares traveled to Senegal and Mauritania this Friday to further strengthen joint work with both countries on migration issues. In Dakar, where he met with President Macky Sall and his counterpart Ismaila Fall, Albares assured that, at the request of the Senegalese authorities, Spanish development cooperation would focus on the training of young people, and in particular on their vocational training. “They are very happy with the priorities we have, such as rural development or gender equality and women's empowerment, but Senegal has an overwhelming percentage of the population under 25 and they ask us to also focus on vocational training to concentrate.”
In this sense, Albares stressed that after the “recovery” in migration last summer, the number of arrivals in the Canary Islands “is already beginning to decline”. In this sense, he emphasized that the control work of the Senegalese Navy was “extraordinary”, as was the collaboration with the Civil Guard and the National Police to intercept the leaking of canoes. “What we cannot accept is that thousands of young Senegalese are risking their lives on the most dangerous route to Europe, the Canary Islands route (…). We also cannot allow Senegal to take advantage of its youth, and this is the reason. “I have heard with great attention the desire to dedicate part of our cooperation to school farms and vocational training.”
The minister recalled the causes that, in his opinion, contributed to the increase in canoe departures from Senegal, such as the impact of Covid-19, the increase in energy prices due to the war in Ukraine and the instability in the Sahel and the high Proportion of young people. “Senegal has the political will to further intensify surveillance, for which it requires material resources,” he noted.
During his meeting with Macky Sall, Albares congratulated him on his refusal to run for a third term “for his commitment to democracy, diversity and stability.” Senegal holds presidential elections on February 25 and is in a deep political crisis: the main opposition leader, Ousmane Sonko, has been in prison since August, convicted of “youth corruption,” while his political party, the Pastef, has been banned for “calling for rebellion.” and terrorism” during the violent demonstrations that preceded the imprisonment of their leader and left fifty people dead.
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