The Parliament of the Canary Islands, responsible for coordinating the Working Group on Migration Policies of the Conference of Legislative Assemblies of Europe (CALRE), held a virtual meeting this Wednesday to analyze the proposals of the participating parliaments and advance in the drafting of a statement on the migratory situation at the external borders of the European Union.
The meeting was chaired by Astrid Pérez, president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands and of CALRE, who stressed the importance of European institutions taking into account the reality of territories that directly face migratory pressure. "The protection of external borders cannot fall solely on the regions on the front lines. It is the responsibility of the entire European Union, which must ensure a coordinated, solidarity-based response with sufficient resources, without ever losing sight of the protection of human rights and the dignity of people," she stated.
One of the central issues was the situation in Ceuta, especially after the migratory events of July 30. To address this reality, the group was joined by Javier Celaya Brey, a deputy for Ceuta in the XV Legislature of the Congress of Deputies, who shared his experience and conveyed the main challenges facing the autonomous city as an external border of the European Union.
Astrid Pérez took advantage of the meeting to present data reflecting the scale of the migratory phenomenon. In the Canary Islands, by November 1, 2026, 12,616 people had arrived by sea, of whom 5,379 arrived during the month of October. Added to this situation is the pressure on the child protection system: as of October 28, the islands were caring for 2,622 unaccompanied minor migrants, compared to an ordinary capacity of 782 places.
The president also recalled the human cost of the Atlantic route, on which 635 people died or disappeared between January and May, according to data from Caminando Fronteras.
Among the parliamentary representatives and officials who participated in the debate were Rubina Leal, president of the Legislative Assembly of Madeira; Carlo Borghetti, CEO of the Regional Council of Lombardy; Angelo Gennaccaro, president of the Provincial Council of Bolzano, and representatives from Trentino-Alto Adige. During the meeting, contributions submitted by the Courts of Aragon and the Parliament of Brussels Capital were also examined.
Among the priorities proposed to enrich the document are strengthening Europe's response capacity in extraordinary situations, greater coordination and solidarity among member states, strengthening the management of external borders, combating human trafficking networks, and cooperation with countries of origin and transit.
The meeting concluded with a commitment to incorporate the contributions of the various delegations into the statement on migration, which will be sent to the group members for their review. The aim is to consolidate a shared position that will allow the voice of regional parliaments to be conveyed to the European debate on one of the main challenges currently facing the EU.
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