The Canary Islands are close to finalising an agreement with the central Spanish government for the relocation of unaccompanied migrant minors to other regions of Spain. This measure aims to alleviate the burden on the Islands, which are currently caring for over 5,600 minors (1,600 more than capacity) a responsibility that falls under regional jurisdiction due to their age.
According to sources from the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, which is leading the negotiations, the agreement's text is nearly finalised. It will require review by the State Legal Service and the Council of State before obtaining full legal clearance.
The proposal outlines a one-off, extraordinary redistribution of approximately 4,000 minors, avoiding the need for legislative amendments. However, disagreements persist over the distribution criteria.
The central government favours population size as the primary factor, while the Canary Islands propose incorporating additional corrective criteria alongside population figures. Despite these differences, the Canary Islands have indicated they will not obstruct the agreement, regardless of the final model chosen.
The Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, stated that both parties had reached an understanding during discussions this week. The regional government submitted further suggestions, which are under legal review. Once completed, the agreement will need approval from the Spanish Parliament.
Temporary Solution to a Long-standing Challenge
This temporary measure follows unsuccessful attempts to reform the Immigration Law to make the reception of unaccompanied minors mandatory for all autonomous communities, i.e. regions of Spain. Currently, responsibility rests solely on the region where the minors arrive.
The Canary Islands have faced significant pressure due to the high number of migrant arrivals. Efforts to secure broader legislative support have been hindered, notably by the Popular Party (PP), which has blocked proposals to reform the law. The PP, alongside Junts and Vox, rejected previous attempts to address the issue in Parliament. As a result, the central government and the Canary Islands administration, led by a coalition of the Canary Coalition and the PP, have resorted to this temporary redistribution strategy to manage the crisis.
Torres reiterated that while the extraordinary redistribution offers immediate relief, the reform of the Immigration Law remains a priority for the Spanish government. He stressed the importance of establishing a sustainable and equitable system to ensure that no single region bears a disproportionate share of the responsibility for unaccompanied migrant minors.
This development represents a critical step toward addressing the ongoing challenges faced by the Canary Islands and ensuring a more balanced approach to the reception and care of migrant minors across the country.
