Canary Islands Government Demands State Support for Unaccompanied Migrant Minors Amidst Rising Crisis
In a recent meeting, the Government of the Canary Islands has decided to formally request the Council of Ministers to address its responsibilities regarding unaccompanied migrant minors. This decision comes in light of a temporary suspension by the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) of the region's reception protocol for minors, which was paused at the request of the Prosecutor's Office. The court expressed concern that the protocol might endanger the rights of children currently in precarious situations.
The urgency of this request is underscored by a looming decision from the Council of Ministers on whether to challenge the aforementioned protocol in the Constitutional Court, citing similar concerns raised by the Prosecutor's Office. The spokesperson for the Canary Executive, Alfonso Cabello, emphasized that the central government has a 30-day window to respond to this formal request. Following this period, the Canary government plans to take necessary legal actions if needed.
The crisis facing the Canary Islands is particularly dire, as the region has seen a staggering influx of migrant minors. In the span of just one week, 418 migrant minors arrived through various vessels, surpassing the total number of minors that all other autonomous communities have pledged to accept for the entirety of 2024. Data from the Red Cross highlights a dramatic increase in boat landings, with 2,794 individuals reaching the islands, predominantly landing on El Hierro and Lanzarote.
Nevertheless, not all arriving minors will enter into care facilities; those who arrive with parents will remain with their guardians, and some individuals may be classified as adults by police. This recent surge has exacerbated the already critical situation in the islands, where approximately 5,300 minors are currently under care, leading local councils, such as Lanzarote, to declare that their childcare systems are overwhelmed.
The issue became a point of contention during the Sectorial Conference on Childhood, which convened in July at the behest of the Canary government. The meeting aimed to raise awareness among other communities regarding the escalating situation and to seek a pathway for reforming the country's immigration laws. However, the response was tepid, with only 347 minors committing to relocation among the all autonomous communities, including Ceuta.
This undersupply of support has spurred political tensions, notably drawing attention from parties such as Vox, which has leveraged the situation to justify breaking governmental agreements with the PP in regions where they were in coalition. In contrast, only El Hierro and Lanzarote have substantially met their commitments to accept unaccompanied minors, with respective figures of 324, 211, and 113 children.
As the Canary Islands continue to face a mounting crisis, the local government's push for heightened support and action from the central authority appears not only prudent but essential to safeguarding the rights and welfare of vulnerable migrant minors.
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