The political and social instability that crosses Senegal and Mali, to which will be added the consequences of the coup d’état in Niger and later the earthquake in Morocco, anticipate a “worrying” autumn on the Canarian migration route, according to all the experts consulted During the first half of September, 2,920 people arrived on the islands, which represents 20% of all arrivals on the Canary coast this year. And the worst, predictably, must come, since navigability will improve at the end of the summer.
This migration drama is causing the first confrontations between the new regional government of Coalició Canària and the Popular Party with the Central Executive. The first calls for more resources in order to deal with the increase in the arrival of pastors and cayucos and a “single command” that serves to unite the interlocution between all the six ministries that have competence in this matter: Foreign Affairs, Interior, Security Social, Social Policies, Defense and Transport. The second defends itself by arguing that the gear is “more than ready” after years of working with countries of origin and transit to slow down departures and strengthening the capacity of the reception system. For this reason, the central executive accuses the regional of “disloyalty” for wanting to generate “social alarm”.
The truth is that the “unique command” demanded by the president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, is already operational. The first time this figure was used was in 2006 with the famous cayucos crisis. That year, with José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero in Moncloa, more than 30,000 people arrived from the African continent. It was then that the Coordination Authority for actions to deal with illegal immigration in the Canary Islands was created. In 2020, with Fernando Grande-Marlaska at the head of the Ministry of the Interior, Major General Juan Luis Pérez Martín was appointed as Coordinating Authority.
Since that appointment, this single command has held nineteen technical coordination meetings. The last one, according to ministerial sources, on July 12, 2023. And in these meetings, in addition to institutions such as the National Police, the Civil Guard or the three armies, the Government of the Canary Islands also participates through the 112. Hence the disbelief with which the invitations of the Canary Government are living in Moncloa. This week, Clavijo has asked King Felipe VI for sole command.
Ministerial sources tell La Vanguardia that the central government has offered the regional government another seat on the coordination radar. A place for the Canarian police, which does not participate for now. In addition, the frequency with which this single command meets will be increased during the autumn months. In return, Moncloa expects Clavijo to go “from words to deeds” to deal with the migration crisis together. For this reason, Interior has demanded the transfer of facilities in La Restinga (El Hierro) so that the National Police can land there for the first time on the island.
The building on Interior’s radar is a Visitor Center belonging to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries. Police sources explain that it has been verified that this demarcation of the island is the point reached by almost all of the Senegalese Cayucos, which is why this enclave would have “a clear deterrent character”. The Spanish Government is waiting for this transfer, which it sees as a litmus test to check “the real will” of the island’s Executive.
