The Executive of Pedro Sánchez presents this Wednesday to the autonomous communities the proposal that has been agreed with the Canary Islands Government to distribute to unaccompanied migrant minors (menas) throughout Spain. This will take place within the framework of the Sectoral Conference on Childhood and Adolescence, which will be held this afternoon in Tenerife.
This proposal includes a Reform of the Immigration Law with a mandatory distribution of unaccompanied minors when the reception centres are overwhelmed. The meeting on Wednesday was chaired by the Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Regoaccompanied by the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo.
The agreement is reached, but only half-heartedly: Catalonia abstains
There are only two points on the table, but the meeting is dragging on. At the moment, it seems that there is only consensus on one of them: to distribute 400 unaccompanied migrant minors. A topic on which Catalonia has ended up abstaining. The other issue, the reform of the immigration law, will have to continue to be debated because the PP communities are asking for more time to analyse the proposal.
Over the last few days, the question mark has been the Popular Party’s vote on the reform proposed by Moncloa. Currently, the Canary Islands host around 6,000 minors and the Executive’s proposal is that the limit be between 2,000 and 3,000. Therefore, the main objective right now is the reform of article 35 of the Immigration Law so that the autonomous communities cantake unaccompanied migrant children in a “solidary and binding” manner with the territories of arrival.
The agreement is reached, but only half-heartedly, because what has been given the green light today – the distribution of 400 migrant minors – is something already agreed upon in previous meetings, although only three regions have complied with it: Andalusia, Aragon and Asturias.
The Minister of Social Inclusion, Youth, Families and Equality of AndalusiaLoles López has assured that they will take in 30 migrant minors as established in the Canary Islands Migration Crisis Response Plan, compared to the 36 received in 2023 and the 38 in 2022.
For its part, Galicia is willing to welcome 26 new migrant minors from the Canary Islands and Ceuta after participating in the Sectoral Conference because reception is a “question of humanity”. The Rioja also will host 4 minors unaccompanied migrants who join another 4 from 2023 who have not yet arrived in the region.
Catalonia withdraws from the agreement
The autonomous communities have agreed to the voluntary distribution of 400 unaccompanied migrant minors from the Canary Islands and Ceuta. All autonomous communities have voted in favour of the voluntary reception of migrant minorswith the exception of Catalonia, which abstained.
The Minister of Youth and Children, Sira Regohas celebrated that “fortunately” this distribution has been unblocked at the Sectoral Conference held this Wednesday in Tenerife.
However, the president of Melilla has criticised Catalonia for ignoring the problem of the migration crisis with unaccompanied minors: “I hope that Catalonia takes a step forward,” he reiterated.
The spokesperson for Junts in Congress, Miriam Nogueras, insisted in Congress that they would reject the reform of the Immigration Law if the Government did not exclude Catalonia from the distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors: “Catalonia is a country of refuge and will always be. What cannot be done is abuse this sense of solidarity and this capacity that we have and that we have always demonstrated in Catalonia. Therefore, in the face of this abuse, it is time for us to consider it,” she said.
The PP’s regional governments do not take a position on the reform of the Immigration Law
Another of the issues discussed at the summit was the Immigration Law. The reform of this law will have to wait a few days. The communities -of the PP- have decided to postpone the decision until analyze the document in depth.
The autonomous communities of the PP does not take a position on the reform of the Immigration Law. They also complain that the draft was sent on Tuesday at the last minute and that the departments have not had “sufficient time” to analyze it. Meanwhile, the Community of Madrid demands that the Government convene a Conference of Presidents and declare the migratory emergency.
The Government regrets that the Popular Party has not spoken out on this matter and clarifies that the objective of the reform of the Immigration Law is change article 35 which will allow for the mandatory distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors when a community’s reception system is at 150% of its capacity.
From The PP asks for time to study the proposal which would change the article on unaccompanied minors in the Immigration Law so that the reception of minors by the autonomous communities would be obligatory, and not voluntary.
For the moment, the Minister of Social Rights and Welfare of the Asturian Government, Marta del Arco, has stated that Asturias supports the reform of the immigration law because “it will guarantee care and protection for unaccompanied immigrant minors.”
Vox calls an emergency meeting
Vox will hold a meeting this Thursday urgent and extraordinary meeting of the National Executive Committee to agree on “the next steps” in the regional governments with the PP after the sectoral conference in Tenerife for the distribution of unaccompanied migrants.
Santiago Abascal’s party accuses Alberto Núñez Feijóo of “breaking the government pacts” in the five autonomous regions by “having forced the regional presidents to vote yes to the distribution of 400 unaccompanied minors.”
The PP is not worried about Vox’s challenge
From the first moment, Vox has expressed to the Government its rejection of the reform they propose. In this regard, this Monday Santiago Abascal linked migrant minors with the increase in crime and warned that they will consider All regional pacts with the PP “broken” if the regional governments in which they participate do not use “all political and legal means” to prevent the distribution of these minors.
For his part, the leader of the PPAlberto Núñez Feijóo, has assured this Wednesday that his party will fulfill “its obligations.” “The autonomous communities that the PP manages – which already have 80% of the minors – will continue to be supportive. That means that All the PP presidents will this afternoon take on the distribution of the 400 minors that the Government has proposed to us“, has explained.
And he assured: “We will once again be supportive and consistent with our policies. We will use all the installed capacity and it will be exceeded.” And he asks that the rest of the communities also assume “their responsibility” and be supportive.I don’t know what Vox will do. But we are strictly fulfilling our commitments. of a state party and also the stability agreements of the autonomous communities where it governs with Vox,” he concluded.
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