The Government of the Canary Islands has called this Friday for a "coordinated protocol" of response to extraordinary migratory crises on its external borders and for these territories, as entry points, to "have a voice" in the design of migration policies, both of Spain and the European Union.
The Deputy Minister of the President's Cabinet, Octavio Caraballo, states in a press release that what happened in Ceuta "demonstrates" the need for such a protocol.
They denounce improvisation in the face of humanitarian crises
"We cannot improvise every time a situation of this magnitude occurs, but rather the coordination mechanisms between the European Union, the State, and the border territories must be defined in advance: knowing who makes the decisions, what resources are activated, how humanitarian attention and the protection of minors are guaranteed, and how the solidarity of the territories operates," he argues.
Caraballo recalls that the Canary Islands "have been demanding for years to move from emergency management to anticipation" and maintains that a unified European protocol would allow, in the face of a crisis like the one in Ceuta or an extraordinary arrival in the Canary Islands, "all administrations to know from the first moment what to do and what responsibility corresponds to each one."
In this regard, he urges Brussels to implement specific measures for those on the front lines of migration management and calls for "more solidarity, funding, real protection for minors, and an Atlantic approach to the migratory challenge."
That will not be possible, he assures, "without the regions that are the external border of the EU having a presence and being able to have a voice in the projects launched by the community institutions."
The deputy minister also criticizes that neither the Spanish government nor the European Commission consults these territories when establishing their migration policies.
This point, he assures, was already observed in the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which came into force two months ago, and which "in addition to leaving us out of its design, no information was provided to us, despite being the main gateway from the African continent to Europe and the measures it contemplates affect us directly."
The Canary Islands also complain that the Government of Spain "did not consult" the autonomous community either when establishing its national plans.
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.