The General Directorate for the Protection of Children of the Government of the Canary Islands has ordered the closure of the migrant children's reception center in Playa Honda (Lanzarote), known as Volcán de Timanfaya, due to the poor conditions in which it is found and due to inadequate management.
The general director, Sandra Rodríguez, has confirmed to EFE that an inspection was carried out on Monday and the closure was ordered, but it has not yet been implemented, because they are pending transferring its users to Gran Canaria, which will be next Monday or Tuesday.
Rodríguez emphasizes that it has not been possible to relocate the children affected by the situation of "overcrowding" of resources earlier.
Some photographs and videos recorded by the minors themselves at the reception center, to which Efe has had access, testify to the poor conditions in which that place is found, in the middle of a vacant lot near an industrial area.
Some of its residents had gone on several occasions to another reception center, in Arrecife, to complain about the situation and demand improvements or to be transferred.
Specifically, they point out deficiencies in the food and that they are not supplied with clothing, in addition to the poor conditions of the property, sources close to the children have told EFE.
In the images, you can see door frames without doors, damage to the walls, dirt, exposed cables, dampness, unpainted walls, beds without bed frames, sinks and showers that do not have water, broken glass, or doors that do not fit in the frame.
The minors also complain that there is no cleaning service and that they have to take turns cleaning the center.
The same person who directed the Casa del Mar center in Arrecife, which was precisely closed due to poor living conditions in July 2024, is the director of this resource in Playa Honda.
Sandra Rodríguez points out that the management of the Playa Honda center is carried out by an authorized entity and that one of the reasons for the closure is the "poor management", since the Government of the Canary Islands was not being informed of some related circumstances either, in addition to the fact that the "adequate attention" was not being offered to the minors.
"The management has not worked," adds the head of Childhood, "because any incident with a minor has to be reported to us."
In the images disseminated by the residents of the center, an attempted self-harm by one of the children can be seen.
According to sources close to the minor services on the island consulted by EFE, it is not the only attempt of these characteristics: two weeks ago one of the children had to be treated in the emergency service for injuries that he had caused himself.
And last Tuesday, a report was processed before the Civil Guard of San Bartolomé for a complaint filed by the center itself for an alleged theft of cash from the director's office.
The minor has admitted the facts and has been transferred to another center with precautionary measures, but he also told his defense lawyer about the conditions in which the center was located.
The lawyer recorded in the report the situation of child neglect in the center, sources involved in the case have indicated.
