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Canary Islands reach breaking point due to influx of illegal migrants
Around 7,000 unaccompanied children are expected to arrive illegally in the Canary Islands in the coming months
The Canary Islands are grappling with a severe migration crisis as the influx of illegal migrants has pushed the region's reception services to the brink. The situation has become so dire that Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo is set to meet with Spanish President Pedro Sánchez this Friday August 23 to address the escalating issue.
Clavijo plans to push for a "national pact" to ensure better resource allocation and management.
This meeting follows weeks of frustration for the Canarian authorities, who have criticised the central government for failing to provide adequate support as migrant arrivals have surged.
The crisis has reached such a critical point that Clavijo has described it as an “emergency”, with the region's reception system on the verge of collapse. Despite having capacity to care for 3,000 people, the Canary Islands are currently hosting around 5,200 unaccompanied migrant minors, nearly double what the system can handle.
Efforts to alleviate pressure on the Canary Islands and in the city of Ceuta, another region heavily impacted by the migration surge, have been stymied by political disagreements. A proposed reform to the immigration law, which would have forced other regions of Spain to accommodate unaccompanied migrants, was blocked by the Congress of Deputies.
The failure to pass this reform has left the Canary Islands facing an estimated arrival of 7,000 more children in the coming months, a number that could completely overwhelm the already strained system.
In response to the crisis, the archipelago has resorted to emergency measures, such as setting up tents in Lanzarote to accommodate the overflow of minors. However, local officials feel abandoned by the central government, with Deputy Minister of Social Welfare Francisco Candil expressing despair at the lack of support, stating the community is being left “alone” in managing the crisis.
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Image: Salvamento Maritimo
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