The Spanish government will convene an emergency meeting of the Interministerial Commission on Immigration on Tuesday over the growing migrant pressure on the Canary Islands, Euronews reports. The decision was agreed between Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the president of the autonomous region, Fernando Clavijo.
The situation on the island of El Hierro will be at the centre of the meeting. More than 8,000 migrants have arrived there over the past five weeks. The local island council has declared a social emergency, while the authorities describe the pressure on local resources as “exceptional”.
4,587 migrants arrived in six days
Between 1 and 6 November, 49 boats carrying a total of 4,587 migrants reached the Canary Islands, the regional government said. Thirty-five of the vessels arrived on El Hierro, further straining the capacity of the local authorities.
Clavijo briefed Sánchez on the seriousness of the situation and the growing discontent among the island’s residents. According to him, the Canary Islands have been calling for additional resources, better planning and a coordinated response from the Spanish government for months.
“This meeting must result in an agreement between the two governments and the relevant ministries on a joint action plan with specific measures, responsible institutions and implementation deadlines. We cannot continue to act only when the situation deteriorates,” Clavijo said.The Canary Islands are also seeking help from the EU
The president of the autonomous region has also requested urgent meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
Clavijo said that the Canary Islands cannot continue to shoulder almost alone a situation that requires the involvement of both the Spanish government and the European Union. The upcoming meeting is expected to set common measures and deadlines for a response, but the specific decisions have not yet been announced.
Sources: euronews.com