The island secretary of Coalición Canaria in Lanzarote, Migdalia Machín, has expressed her concern and discontent over the lack of interest of the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, in the serious migratory drama that affects the Canary Islands, and that needs to be addressed urgently.
“It is unacceptable that, while on vacation in Lanzarote, Pedro Sánchez has not had time to meet with the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, but he has met with Salvador Illa, which shows his lack of interest in the critical situation we are experiencing in the islands”, condemns Machín, who describes it as incomprehensible that the President of the State, being on one of the islands most affected by the arrival of boats, “does not dedicate even an hour to learning about the reality that is lived at the foot of the dock”.
In fact, this same Sunday, August 18, a new boat with 27 people on board, including six women, all of sub-Saharan origin, was located north of Lanzarote, adding to the alarming figures that reflect the growing migratory crisis.
“While Sánchez enjoys his vacations, our coasts continue to receive canoes and boats almost daily. The situation is unsustainable, and the central government's passivity is a slap in the face to the Canarians who face this humanitarian drama alone”, adds the nationalist leader.
The island secretary underlines the seriousness of the situation, citing alarming data such as the 126% increase in the arrival of migrants by sea compared to the same period in 2023.
“22,304 migrants have arrived in the Canary Islands from January 1 to August 15, 2024, 75% of the migrants who arrive in Spain by sea do so in the Canary Islands... but while the central government looks the other way, we continue to receive boats on our coasts”, Machín emphasizes.
The nationalist leader harshly criticizes Sánchez's prioritization of other issues and insists that “we need a firm and effective commitment from the state government to face this crisis with the seriousness it deserves”.
Machín highlighted the continuous efforts of the Canarian president, Fernando Clavijo, to open lines of dialogue with the central government and the European Union, in search of solutions that include effective cooperation with the countries of origin and a reform of the Immigration Law that allows a fair and dignified distribution of unaccompanied minors.
“Unfortunately, these efforts have been ignored by a president who is more concerned about the issues of Catalonia than about the humanitarian crisis that the Canary Islands is experiencing”, adds the island secretary, emphasizing that “we should be used to the State ignoring us in this way, but we refuse to give up. We are going to continue demanding that we be heard and working towards a comprehensive solution to this crisis, which respects the dignity of migrants and alleviates the pressure on the islands' resources”.
