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Friday, November 20, 2020
The Canary Islands are becoming a new access point for refugees. The authorities report a thousand percent increase in one year. Now the Spanish government is building an emergency camp for 7,000 people and at the same time preparing the deportation of migrants.
To contain the migratory crisis in the Canary Islands, Spain plans to install temporary reception centers for a total of 7,000 people in the Atlantic Islands. The Migration Minister, José Luis Escrivá, promised during a visit to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria that these camps would be available “in just a few weeks.” They will be built on the islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura according to information on the ground or in buildings belonging to the Ministry of Defense. In addition, work will also be done on the construction of “more stable centers,” said Escrivá. The Minister of Transport, José Luis Ábalos, who also visited Gran Canaria at noon, has meanwhile promised more funds for the maritime rescue service.
So far this year, more than 18,000 immigrants from Africa have arrived in the Canary Islands. According to official information, this means an increase of 1000 percent compared to the same period last year. Around 5,500 of these migrants are temporarily housed in 17 hotels. Due to the corona pandemic, the Canaries are not as crowded as this time of year.
Madrid refuses to continue towards the peninsula
Autonomous politicians accuse the central government of leaving the Canary Islands during the crisis. The rescue services and the police are completely overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Madrid refuses to bring the migrants to the peninsula. They did not want to convey the message that the Canary Islands served as a stepping stone to Europe, he said. With few exceptions, Madrid is making an effort to repatriate all migrants arriving in the Canary Islands, the newspaper “El Mundo” reported this week, citing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During a visit to Morocco, the Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, stressed: “Migration policy is determined by the EU, not just Spain.” It’s about fighting illegal immigration. According to media reports, he negotiated with his Moroccan colleague Abdelouafi Laftit about faster deportations.
Most of the newcomers to the Canary Islands, some 110 kilometers away, had set sail in Morocco. Most of the boats, mostly only powered by an outboard motor, also come from Senegal, 1,500 kilometers further south. Droughts, the corona pandemic, poverty and unemployment, as well as violence like in Mali, are causing people to risk the dangerous journey by sea in the hope of a better life in Europe.
