The Balearic Islands consider aid for Ceuta "insufficient" and warn: "We cannot accommodate minors"

PalmaThe Balearic Islands Government has considered the aid of 25 million euros for the care of migrant children in Ceuta "insufficient" and has reiterated that the Islands "cannot" accept minors from a distribution. This was emphasized by the Minister of Families, Social Welfare and Care for Dependency, Sandra Fernández, in statements to the media after the Sectoral Conference on Children and Adolescents, to which she attended remotely. The meeting, which Aragon, Extremadura and Castile and Leon did not attend, had a single item on the agenda, the aid to Ceuta, which was approved unanimously by all the autonomies present.

The minister has reiterated the request of the Balearic Islands, along with other autonomous communities, to proceed with the return of all migrants and, in the case of minors, that it be studied "case by case" and, if possible, family reunification be carried out at the origin. During the meeting, the Balearic Islands have requested the government of Spain to "listen" to Ceuta, which "has been demanding the return of all migrants since the first minute". However, Fernández lamented, this task "is not being done" by the state government and, "not even the real number of minors" in the autonomous city is known.

Fernández has called for a "real" migratory policy that "prevents all these people from arriving" in the country. Regarding the distribution of migrant minors, he explained that it had not been debated at the meeting, as it was not included on the agenda. In his opinion, the intention was to provide information about a possible distribution without first having conveyed "a global vision of the situation". "First, we need to know what the reality of Ceuta is, how many people there are, how many boys, girls, and adolescents, and, obviously, then we can address other points," he considered. On this matter, the minister asserted that the Balearic Islands cannot accommodate minors, because the reception system "is already completely overwhelmed".

Fernández has also lashed out at the "tone" of the Minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, stressing that at the last Sectoral Conference she branded the autonomous communities governed by the PP as "racist". In this regard, she explained that the minutes of the meeting have not been approved, as they did not include Rego's latest words, even though the minister refused to withdraw them. "Today she has not called us racist, but she has questioned some of our interventions with an angry tone," she criticized.

The counselor considers that all the alternatives that the minister proposes regarding the distribution of migrant minors "fall on other administrations" when, in her opinion, "the first thing she must do is assume her responsibilities".

In a press conference following the meeting, the Minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, criticized that the president of Extremadura, María Guardiola; the president of Aragon, Jorge Azcón, and the president of Castile and León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, all from the PP, had decided to "abandon and punish" the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivas, also from the PP. "It is evident that, in this regard, Feijóo has decided to choose Vox over choosing Ceuta and the truth is that it is regrettable," she stated.

Regarding the amount of 25 million, Rego admitted that they will have to increase the figure and announced that they are “working”. "The Ministry requested the allocation of a budget item on the 31st. That is to say, a few hours after the massive arrival in Ceuta, without yet having real figures of how many unaccompanied boys and girls there were in the autonomous city. We estimate 25 million, but that does not mean it is enough," she pointed out.