I am in a room that I have rented in the city of Granada to pursue my studies. It is 7:13 p.m. when I write these words. At the same time, my roommate is trying to tune the guitar he acquired a few days ago. I say he's trying, we'll see if he succeeds. But there it goes. And it is, at this moment, when my mind has begun to reflect on the acute and critical moment we have had to live through. I do not intend to be alarmist or insidious, but we must be aware that this tremendously dark episode will forever mark our lives.
I am from the Canary Islands. From Lanzarote especially. An ideal island that hosts a wonderful natural beauty and richness. Declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1993. But well, it is not the landscape or tourist charm of my island that I want to bring to the object of this article. However, it is the different vicissitudes that it has suffered throughout these months: as a result of its strategic position, the entry of a multitude of boats full of people has occurred (with all the human rights coverage that they deserve due to this condition) that appear on our coasts with hopes, asylum, rights, and many dreams. By the way, this situation brings to mind the misery of the human race that takes advantage of the need to make economic profit, being aware that many faces perish at sea.
Avoiding the political debate, and focusing on the humanitarian level, there is something that is clear: it gives the impression that migrants fleeing their countries and arriving on our coasts have a treatment that contravenes the basic principle of respect for the person and dignity. With this luck, the areas most affected by the desolate arrival of migrants are also the most forgotten (see the Moria refugee camp). Being treated on multiple occasions, in the absence of technical and material resources, in undignified and unsanitary conditions not typical of a State that ensures respect and protection of Human Rights. In this line, it is fair to recognize that in the face of the neglect and incompetence of the central government, the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Mª Dolores Corujo, has relocated the newcomers in the boats to hotel accommodations and warehouses, as we know, awaiting a firm and desired response from the Government, and therefore from Europe.
I am not trying to blame any color or any political party. Although they try to ideologize it, I believe that this debate is not appropriate when it comes to Human Rights, especially of migrants who abandon their homes in search of dreams and emancipation of their lives through complicated journeys in which they risk their lives. But I do denounce as a citizen the non-observance of office and the omission of how many actions in humanitarian matters can be projected to achieve a common migration policy that respects basic human guarantees. In short, a policy of agreements that include common interests. As Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, said: "It is inconceivable that Europe still does not have a coherent immigration policy."
Another of the issues that is circulating in my head is the one related to the spark that has exploded in our lives in a resounding way: the Covid-19 disease, showing that Spain was not well prepared for risks of this nature.
Making a scrutiny of different articles related to the coronavirus, it is clear that the new coronavirus has not only caused a health crisis, but also a social, political and economic crisis. Pandemics that last over time initially show only one of their faces: fear, death. But as it progresses, collateral consequences inevitably arrive: business closures, social outrage, termination of contracts, demands for accountability... This leads us to think that the global impact of the coronavirus will depend on how long the pandemic lasts, whether we are able to control outbreaks and avoid waves, and how responsible we citizens, more or less young, are towards the most vulnerable and the political forces.
Indeed, the pandemic has not ended, so it is necessary to continue working on finding better solutions that allow us to combat a virus as inexplicable as it is fulminating. Despite the fact that some regions insist on circumventing the data and not acting according to the circumstances of urgent need, diverting attention from what is a priority.
In short, it is not time to activate political marketing to let us know how well or how badly it has been done, for which it would be convenient to carry out an independent "audit" of how each of the powers of the State has worked during this crisis once this episode is over. And, it is a good time to unite, cooperate and truly reinforce the resources that Spain has to face this crisis in a spirit of solidarity and in line with the utmost respect for the legal system.
