The Spanish parliament approved on Thursday, April 10th, a plan to redistribute underage migrants from the Canary Islands to the rest of the country.
The Spanish islands situated close to the northwestern coast of Africa have been burdened with migrant arrivals for the past few years.
The Canary Islands saw an 18% increase in arrivals to almost 47,000 last year, the highest figure since the EU’s border agency Frontex began collecting data in 2009.
Under-18s who migrate alone to Spain are entitled to government protection and aid. The number of children and teenagers arriving in Spain without their parents or custodians more than doubled over the last three years.
Reflecting the pro-migration stance of the socialist government, Regional Minister Ángel Víctor Torres said migration is “an opportunity” because “these children will be part of our economic structure, of our labour, social and cultural potential in the future.”
The redistribution plan has been met with furore by the centre-right opposition People’s Party which said that regions under their control will have to take in more migrants than others.
Catalonia, on the other hand, which is led by separatist parties, will only have to welcome a few dozen migrants. This means Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has once again caved to the demands of Catalan separatist party Junts and placed a heavier burden on other regions.
The socialists require the support of Junts to maintain a majority in the Spanish parliament.
Right-wing party Vox has also condemned the plans, adding that the government’s decision fails to address the underlying causes of mass immigration.
