In response to a question from the Popular Party senator for Fuerteventura, Pilar Padilla Camejo, regarding the Government's assessment of the operational status of the patrol boats operating in Fuerteventura and their crews, the Ministry of the Interior replied that their condition is appropriate for carrying out the functions entrusted to the Civil Guard.
Regarding the crews, the Interior Ministry reported that the listed staff is 60, with an increase of another 5 planned, arguing that this increase will cover the needs in this aspect. The senator also inquired about the fixed radars operated by the Integrated External Surveillance Service (SIVE), and the Ministry specified that currently the radars of the four fixed stations installed on the island of Fuerteventura are fully operational.
The fixed deployment of SIVE on the island of Fuerteventura consists of four complete sensor stations integrated by a radar sensor and an optronic sensor, located in Puerto del
Rosario, Faro de la Entallada, Pozo Negro and Morro Jable, as well as a Command and Control Center in Puerto del Rosario.
Pilar Padilla has been very incisive in the Senate with the means to control irregular immigration, therefore, she was also interested in the downtime of the four fixed radars throughout the last semester of 2004 and throughout the current year. According to the Executive, the fixed radars of the island of Fuerteventura from the last semester of 2004 to what has been of 2005, have only been in their whole 20 days of operational unavailability.
Detained Immigrants
The Government also answered a question from the senator of CC José Luis Perestelo Rodríguez with respect to the actions developed during the year 2004 and the current months of 2005. The Maritime Service of Las Palmas, based in Corralejo (Fuerteventura), during the year 2004, intercepted a total of 3,589 irregular immigrants and arrested 49 skippers. Likewise, during the first quarter of the present year 2005, 273 immigrants have been intercepted and three skippers arrested.
Effectiveness of SIVE
For its part, the popular senator, not very satisfied with the answers, questioned whether mobile radars were used jointly with the fixed ones of the SIVE. The Executive assured that the three mobile radars are in operation. Due to their functionality, the equipment of these
characteristics are acquired to give service to the areas corresponding to their usual location and with the objective of reinforcing and protecting those areas of the coast where
a greater presence of irregular migratory flows can be temporarily detected, since their mobility allows the temporary displacement of the same. The mobile radar existing in Fuerteventura is used jointly with the fixed radars when it is operationally necessary, explained the Ministry.
The popular senator elaborated on the missions carried out by the patrol boat "Río Guadalupe" in the last two years. The patrol boat, the Ministry highlighted, carried out last year
2004 a total of 65 services related to immigration, fishing and drug trafficking. In the course of the present year, it has a total of 22 services of the same type. This vessel took part in Operation Guanarteme, carried out in waters of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, for the control of irregular immigration and security and support tasks were also carried out in the NATO military maneuvers.
The future of human and material resources
The current Catalog of Job Positions of the Provincial Maritime Service of Las Palmas will be increased by five personnel, so it will have a total of 65. The Government says that with the resolution of the general transfer contest it is expected to cover the vacancies that
currently has said Maritime Service.
In relation to the material resources claimed by Senator Pilar Padilla, the General Directorate of the Civil Guard has foreseen, with respect to the provision of patrol boats for the next year 2006 to the Civil Guard of the Sea in the Canary Islands, to acquire a semi-rigid boat, which will be awarded to the Maritime Service of Las Palmas.