The so-called ‘Plan Canarias’, carried out by the Ministry of Migration in the Islands, took another step forward yesterday with the opening of the first centre in Tenerife to house the irregular immigrants who have arrived in the Islands by sea.
It is the old Las Raíces barracks in the municipality of La Laguna, where they are planning to condition another disused military facility for the same purpose, in Las Canteras. The Minister of Migration, José Luis Escrivá, revealed that the plan is to give a roof to 7,000 immigrants spread over five islands, although more than half would be at the two centres in La Laguna.
The main concern about these provisional centres, is that they become permanent, which is something that is concerning in the Tenerife authorities who didn’t hesitate to raise such suspicions with the ministerial representative at a summit promoted by the La Laguna council at the opening of Las Raices on Wednesday.
During the meeting, the president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Pedro Martín, did not beat around the bush and asked the general director of Migrations, Maite Pacheco, about the repatriation plan. In his eagerness to calm the situation, Pacheco revealed to those present that the flights to Africa have already started.
Pacheco went on to explain that there are already four planes a week to Morocco with migrants on board, and that very soon there will also be repatriation flights to Mauritania and Senegal.
Although this was well received, the resentment has not disappeared from Pedro Martín and the mayors of La Laguna and Tacoronte, who were both present at the meeting, who insist that the situation will only be resolved if transferrals to mainland Spain are activated too.
"Almost 17,500 have already left the Canary Islands, but no one knows how many will continue to come," said Pedro Martín yesterday.
