Fernando Clavijo met Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner in Strasbourg. “When you close one door, migrants exit from another.”
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00:00The Canary Islands has called for EU solidarity over the latest migrant crisis,
00:06seeing thousands pouring into the Spanish archipelago.
00:09The Canary Islands President, Fernando Clavejo, said during a meeting with the EU's Home Affairs Commissioner,
00:16Magnus Brunner, in Strasbourg on Tuesday that his region suffers from less focus from the EU than the Mediterranean,
00:24in relation to irregular migration.
00:27We understand that it is unfair that only one government has to bear all the pressure,
00:32without knowing when or how many will come.
00:35So what we want is for the mechanisms of solidarity to be activated within the EU,
00:40and of course also within Spain,
00:42and that a number of 5,800 minors distributed between Europe or within the Spanish territory
00:50is perfectly acceptable.
00:52The so-called Atlantic Route saw almost 47,000 arrivals last year,
00:57an increase of 18% compared to 2023.
01:01Around 9,757 people died last year along this route.
01:07Well, these are communicating vessels.
01:10The EU has shielded the Mediterranean,
01:13and when you close one part, the migration comes out the other.
01:17What is being generated is an accumulation in countries like Morocco, Gambia, Senegal or Mauritania,
01:22mainly Mauritania, waiting to make the leap.
01:26Despite thousands of deaths along the Atlantic Route,
01:29Canary's government says it also wants the EU to conclude agreement with African countries
01:35and deploy Frontex officials there.
01:38But the key, in Clavejo's opinion, is to boost economy in departure countries.
01:51Frontex's presence in a third country is more complex to arrange,
01:55and requires a working agreement approved by the EU.