The Government of the Canary Islands has initiated conversations for the Army to cede the old posters of Arrecife to welcome the unaccompanied minor immigrants who have arrived on the island in recent weeks and who have overwhelmed the resources available to the Cabildo for their reception.
"I have spoken with the government delegate, Elena Mañez, and there is availability for the transfer", said the general director of Protection for Children and the Family, Carmen Morales, who states that the Acuartelamiento Marqués de Herrera "is currently practically empty" and that "it has space for beds, dining room, bathrooms and spaces for leisure".
At present, she says that the island welcomes 31 minors and that "although the Cabildo has opened a new resource in Yaiza to welcome them, it has become small as soon as it opened, since its capacity is 14 places" and only this Thursday another 17 minors arrived in Lanzarote in a new boat that reached the coast in the Caletón Blanco area.
About 25 minors have already been transferred
The Minister of Employment, Social Policies and Housing, Cristina Valido, has also assured that in recent weeks about 25 minors have been transferred from Lanzarote to other islands, mainly to Gran Canaria, and that in the coming days between four and six more will be transferred.
However, she explains that the "problem" is that "until the results of the bone tests are checked and they are officially declared minors, we cannot proceed to the declaration of helplessness and therefore proceed to the transfer to resources from the rest of the island councils", so they must remain in Lanzarote.
For this reason, the general director of Protection for Children and the Family states that they are looking for "alternative resources for the immediate and temporary reception of the alleged minors until their definitive declaration, at which time they could be referred to other islands". Morales explains that she has already established contacts with various non-governmental organizations to "offer a quick and effective response".
Meeting at FECAI to address this issue
In addition, she reiterated that the Social Welfare Commission of the FECAI will meet on October 11, as Cristina Valido announced during her visit to Lanzarote last Monday, to address, among other things, the activation of the protocol for the distribution of unaccompanied foreign minors among the seven Island Councils, as happened in 2006.
During her visit to the island, Valido met with the councilor of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Maite Corujo, and after the meeting she stated that "the minors are well housed and for now there is an affordable amount". However, the Government councilor also argued the importance of the FECAI meeting on October 11 and the distribution of minors among all the autonomous communities, whose deadline for the offer of places ends this Friday, "since these things have to be agreed upon calmly and given what has happened lately in Andalusia, we must be prepared to have the devices available".
