The Canary Islands criticize Prohens for requesting a suspension of the distribution of minors: "It's unsupportive."

PalmThe Canary Islands government on Friday lamented the Balearic Islands' government's announcement that it would request a suspension from the Supreme Court for having carte blanche not to accept unaccompanied migrant minors from the islands. This decision represents "an exercise of irresponsibility and lack of solidarity" on the part of an autonomous community that "takes all 5,000 of them."

This was stated in statements to the media by Octavio Caraballo, Deputy Minister of the Cabinet of the President of the Canary Islands, who also warned that "it is not true" that the Balearic Islands are currently the main gateway to Europe for migratory flows from Africa. "The Balearic Islands are based on a premise that is, moreover, false. (...) The data is incontestable. They have received 5,000 migrants during 2025, and we have surpassed the 12,000 mark. They have 680 minors, and we have more than 5,500," Caraba pointed out.

He went on to say that while the Canary Islands government "understands and appreciates" the concerns expressed by the president, Marga Prohens, he clarifies that if the Canary Islands have been able to "establish a reception system for 6,000 minors, they should have no problem accepting a contingent of 49."

Principle of solidarity

Octavio Caraballo also argued that in Spain there is "a principle of solidarity that must always be applied in the face of any humanitarian tragedy or adversity," and therefore it "cannot be applied à la carte, but is an institutional obligation." Therefore, refusing to take in 49 minors is "an exercise in irresponsibility" and a further demonstration of "lack of solidarity" with the Canary Islands.

"We urge the president of the Balearic Islands to join the initiative we launched two years ago, with the support of other territories in the same situation, such as Ceuta. We proposed it to her at the time, through a letter to which she did not even respond, and we will continue to propose it to her," he concluded.