The president of IMAS rejects the distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors: "It perverts the entire protection system."

PalmThe president of the Mallorcan Institute of Social Affairs (IMAS), Guillermo Sánchez, has rejected the distribution of unaccompanied migrant minors from the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla to other communities, arguing that it "perverts the entire protection system."

In statements to IB3, the Minister of Social Welfare of the Consell de Mallorca criticized the "new imposition" of the Spanish government, accusing it of governing "without regard for those with jurisdiction over minors."

"Sánchez treats foreign minors as commodities and, therefore, is forcing us to replace the current model of the child protection system with a warehousing model," criticized the president of IMAS, who emphasized that "this situation perverts the entire protection system."

He has also denounced the "opacity" regarding the criteria for distributing migrant minors, because, in his opinion, "no one understands that an autonomous community like Catalonia, with a higher per capita income, and more population and territory, has to take in half as many minors as the Balearic Islands."

On the other hand, regarding the possibility that the minors could be distributed throughout the Archipelago, instead of staying only in Mallorca, Guillermo Sánchez has denied that he is considering this option. "The only option I have in mind is that the criteria we have in the Islands, where we are responsible, be met, and in no case should any minors arrive from other autonomous communities."

Regarding the next steps to be taken in the case of the distribution of minors, the president of IMAS recalled that they have already been announced and will consist of "an opposition at the level of unconstitutionality appeals of both the modification of the Organic Law on Immigration and the decree that will recently be approved with the distribution quotas." In this regard, he said that he hopes "that an injunction is approved and that these legislative modifications are not approved."

Likewise, and asked if they expect to hear anything more from the government, Guillermo Sánchez acknowledged that they are "not very positive, in this sense," since "no requirements of the communities are met," nor, he added, "in the case of the Balearic Islands, of the island councils," which are coasts of the Archipelago, "but a distribution based on illegal distribution criteria by Mr. Sánchez cannot be accepted."