In an emergency response to the immigration crisis in the Canary Islands, the Spanish Government has approved a €7.4 million investment for the construction of two temporary foreign care centres (CATE).
One centre, offering 600 beds, will be located in Fuerteventura, while the second, with a capacity for 350 beds, is set to be built in Adeje, in the south of Tenerife.
The CATE facility planned for Adeje will be a modular structure built on land owned by the Ministry of the Interior, according to a government statement. This project comes amid their ongoing investigations, which are examining the shift in Mediterranean migration routes toward the Canary Islands.
With the approved funding, existing migrant reception facilities across the Canary Islands — including those in Lanzarote, El Hierro, and Gran Canaria — will also undergo improvements, ensuring that services and supplies can meet the needs of all new arrivals.
The government emphasised that traditional mechanisms under Spanish Law 9/2017 were insufficient for addressing the immediate needs posed by this situation, leading to an emergency procurement decision by the Secretary of State for Security on September 18th, 2024. This action, in line with Article 120 of the legislation, enables expedited contracting for the necessary works, supplies, and services.
Additionally, the Spanish Government plans to seek support from the European Union to accommodate minor migrants across the country, highlighting the scale and urgency of managing these migration flows in a coordinated European effort.
