According to European media news: The European Union is set to provide €14 million to Spain’s Canary Islands to enhance their capacity to accommodate the growing number of migrants arriving from West Africa. This funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of a collaborative effort with Frontex, the EU’s border and coast guard agency.
This latest financial package follows a similar €20 million grant allocated to the Spanish archipelago in March. The EU’s initiative aims to strengthen border security and ensure the islands can manage the increasing influx of migrants in a humane and organized manner.
Vice-President of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, announced the funding during a visit to the Canary Islands, where he met with regional President Fernando Clavijo Batlle. During his visit, Schinas emphasized that “the Canary Islands are not alone” in facing this crisis. He acknowledged the “enormous pressure” placed on the region’s institutions and society by the surge in migrant arrivals and reiterated the EU’s commitment to supporting those in vulnerable situations, particularly unaccompanied minors.
To further assist vulnerable arrivals, the European Asylum Agency will enhance the level of support provided to unaccompanied minors. This move aims to foster greater cooperation between European member states on asylum issues and ensure that minors receive the care and protection they need.
Schinas is scheduled to visit temporary centers for migrants on the islands of Tenerife and El Hierro to assess the situation firsthand. In a press release, the Canary Islands’ local government expressed gratitude to the EU for its assistance, underscoring its commitment to treating all those arriving on the islands “with dignity.”
The route from West Africa to the Canary Islands via the Atlantic has become the third most-used migration pathway into Europe, with numbers more than doubling in recent times. Between January and August of this year, over 22,300 migrants arrived on the Canary Islands, a figure expected to rise in the coming months. The EU’s funding aims to ensure that the Canary Islands can manage this growing challenge effectively, safeguarding both the region’s stability and the welfare of the migrants.
