A centre near Las Palmas housing unaccompanied migrant children faces closure following a court ruling, it was announced on Tuesday, May 20th.
The Canary Islands court argued it was convinced that physical abuse, hate crimes, and threats were all widespread on and around the premises. This prompted a police raid based on ‘extensive evidence and testimony’ of alleged crimes, some presumably committed against some of the 43 minors housed there.
At least nine employees were detained in a highly secretive raid.
The Canary Islands are a flashpoint for tensions caused by African boat migrants attempting to reach Europe, with Spain accused of underfunding measures to tackle the crisis. Large numbers of unaccompanied minors further aggravate the problem.
While Spain’s Socialist government is accused of playing regional politics with the crisis, it appears that not taking the staffing of the youth centre seriously and professionally may have led to its closure.
