The Canary Islands government has announced an extension of the emergency declaration in response to the critical situation in the region’s migrant youth reception centres, which are currently operating at 123% capacity, accommodating approximately 5,860 unaccompanied minors who have arrived on boats from Africa.
Alfonso Cabello, spokesperson for the Canary Islands government, made the announcement today (Monday) following a Governing Council meeting. He explained that the emergency declaration was initially issued in August 2023 due to the overwhelming pressure on the centres at the time.
"Right now, the reception centres are at 123% capacity. We are talking about 5,860 unaccompanied migrant minors (children and teenagers), and at certain points, we have even reached 160% capacity," Cabello stated. He emphasised that extending the emergency status allows for greater administrative flexibility, ensuring that centres remain open as the influx of underage arrivals to the Canary Islands continues.
He also highlighted the prolonged nature of the crisis, citing a lack of response from the Spanish government regarding the redistribution of around 4,000 minors from the Canary Islands across different autonomous regions of Spain.
"The Canary Islands continue to bear the brunt of this crisis, while the central government fails to respond to both the islands and the ongoing humanitarian emergency," Cabello stressed.
He reiterated that the facilities dedicated to caring for these minors are "completely overwhelmed and beyond capacity," with maritime rescue professionals also calling for assistance. "Meanwhile, we are still waiting for a response from the national government," he concluded.
