The President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Ángel Víctor Torres, met this Monday afternoon with the groups that make up the Federation of Migrant Associations of Lanzarote at the Torrelavega Society of Arrecife. During the meeting, migrants explained the problems that affect them, according to a statement from the PSOE.
In his speech, the also candidate for re-election as President of the Canary Islands highlighted that migration "is a natural process of people that has been happening forever" and pointed out that, "although the Canary Islands is now a land of welcome, we have always been a people of emigrants." Among those present was Carlos Alférez, who is running as an independent on the PSOE list for the Arrecife City Council.
"Immigration, a driver of progress and development"
Ángel Víctor Torres lamented "the loss of lives of those seeking better horizons" and recalled the shipwreck of the ship 'Valbanera' off the coast of Florida, in 1919, "in which more than 400 Canary Islanders died who were emigrating to Cuba, so we know closely the suffering that migrants go through."
He also conveyed to this group his commitment to "reverse the biased perception of immigration that exists in some sectors of society so that it is seen as what it really is, as a driver of progress and development of Canarian society and the evolution of humanity."
Finally, he assured: "Before migrants, we speak of people, whose legitimate desires for progress should in no case be penalized with violence or hatred, so our islands must continue to be a benchmark in the commitment to fight against hatred and discrimination, against racism, xenophobia and intolerance."
"Lanzarote, a welcoming, open and plural society"
The island's general secretary, Loli Corujo, highlighted that "despite being a very small territory, the island welcomes people of more than 120 different nationalities who contribute work, culture and wealth and who have brought us greater cultural, linguistic and gastronomic diversity."
The also candidate to repeat as island president pointed out: "We live with about 20,000 people from the European Union and the United Kingdom, with about 9,000 residents from America and with about 6,000 residents from Africa, so Lanzarote is a miniature expression of what is happening throughout the developed world, where people from all over come in search of a decent life, in search of a better life."
"We must not forget that, in a few decades, Lanzarote has gone from being a land of emigrants to becoming a recipient of migrants, so it should not be difficult for us to naturalize migrations to make Lanzarote a welcoming, open and plural society, which is the only possible path for peaceful coexistence," concluded Loli Corujo.
