Clavijo asks the European Commission to convene in Brussels the Canary Islands, Lampedusa and the Greek islands on the southern borders of the EU
The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo Batlle, has conveyed this Friday, September 29, to the vice president of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, the “imperative need to articulate a common, solid and effective response” in all the countries of the Union European Union to face the important challenges derived from the arrival of migrants at the community borders and, especially, to the Canary Islands. In La Toja, where he is participating in the V La Toja-Vínculo Atlántico Forum, Clavijo highlighted in his interview with Schinas the current situation of migratory flows towards the islands and the need to “give a European response” to the approaches and demands of the Canary Islands. to confront the humanitarian drama that is occurring on the southern border of the European Union.
The Canary Islands president also raised with Margaritis Schinas the need to convene a working meeting “with content and decision-making perspectives” in Brussels between the European Commission and the governments of the Canary Islands, the Italian island of Lampedusa and the northern Greek islands. of the Aegean Sea with the aim of analyzing the situation that these European territories are going through due to their status as the southern border of the European Union. “From the Government of the Canary Islands we have expressed our total willingness to establish a path of joint collaboration between the European Commission and the regions of arrival of the migratory flows,” explained Fernando Clavijo, “to try to address the difficult migration challenge together and make people heard. our voices before the European institutions.”
Fernando Clavijo also wanted to highlight the willingness to dialogue and joint work shown by the vice president of the European Commission. "We always say that Europe understands us more than Spain and once again it is confirmed that Vice President Schinas' knowledge of the Canary Islands' immigration problems in the end seems to be more extensive and certainly more comprehensive than that of the Government of Spain," said the president of the Canary Islands. "We have been able to talk about the package of measures that the EU has presented, we have talked about the need for the package of seven proposed legislative measures to define a common border, to define a policy of solidarity, to define a policy of cooperation with the countries of transit,” said Clavijo, “it is essential that it be approved before the end of the legislative period in May 2024.”
In the meeting with the vice president of the EC, Margaritis Schinas, specific aspects of migratory flows were also addressed, such as that of unaccompanied minors. In this area, Clavijo explained that the decision-making sphere is the Member State, but he highlighted the commitment of the European Commission to "be sending resources to Spain and being committed to sending more resources if necessary." Regarding Frontex, the Canarian president shared with the senior community official his surprise at the inaction of Frontex in island waters. “We do not understand why it is not deployed to save lives,” stressed Fernando Clavijo.
The president of the Canary Islands also wanted to focus on the continuity of the migration phenomenon. A movement of migrants that, beyond having peaks like the current one linked to the good state of the sea, “will be maintained and will continue,” warned Fernando Clavijo, “because they are fleeing hunger, violence, lack of opportunities.” . In this direction, the head of the Canary Islands Government pointed out the need for greater help and understanding in all EU countries to face such an important present and future challenge for the community project. “We must respond from solidarity, that is what I have conveyed,” said Clavijo.
In this sense, the president of the Canary Islands elaborated on the invitation that he has already sent letters addressed to the president of the Regional Assembly of Sicily, Gaetano Galvagno, and to the regional governor of the North Aegean, Konstantinos Moutzouris, to confirm a meeting in Brussels or in one of the European regions that, at the moment, are supporting some of the greatest migratory pressures at the border in recent times. “Our territories, as Europe's southern border, cannot and do not have sufficient means to face alone the full weight of the EU's migration management,” Clavijo stressed, “we must walk hand in hand and join forces so that our demands are heard and achieve the unanimous and supportive support of all EU Member States.”
