MEETING WITH THE VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CANARY ISLANDS, MANUEL DOMÍNGUEZ

Last Wednesday, January 29, Javier Zarzalejos, in his capacity as president of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), met with the vice-president of the Canary Islands Government, Manuel Domínguez, to address the serious migratory crisis affecting the islands.

During the meeting, Zarzalejos informed Domínguez about the recent approval of a mission of the LIBE Commission, which will travel to the Canary Islands in the first half of 2025 to analyze the situation arising from the irregular arrivals of migrants.

Zarzalejos expressed his concern about the Spanish government’s inaction in the face of this crisis, stressing that while other EU countries are making progress in the management of their borders, the Canary Islands continue to be the main point of entry of irregular immigration into Europe. In addition, he warned that Spain could fall behind in the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum if the established deadlines are not met.

For his part, Domínguez regretted the Spanish government’s refusal to accept the aid offered by the EU, such as the deployment of Frontex and economic aid, to deal with the migratory crisis. He reiterated the urgent need for the central government to attend to the proposals of the European Union to alleviate the situation in the Canary Islands.