Spain's secretary of state for migration says the country will prioritize strengthening the accommodation system for migrants. Around 53,000 adult migrants are currently being hosted in shelters.
Spain's secretary of state for migration, Pilar Cancela, says the country is accommodating around 53,000 migrants in over 3,000 centers and other types of facilities. Some of the shelters are managed by NGOs and associations, Cancela told the international media. The figures refer to accommodation for adults who are either vulnerable or who have an irregular status. The housing and care of minors is the responsibility of the Spanish regions.
Procedure for migrants arriving in Canary Islands
Explaining the process of managing the arrival of migrants, especially in the Canary Islands, Cancela said migrants are welcomed on arrival at the docks by a system of first aid health assistance, usually provided by the Red Cross, which includes staff trained in providing psycho-social assistance as well as food and clean clothes.
After this initial phase, migrants undergo an interview with the police and are then taken, if they do not need medical assistance, to the so-called temporary shelter centers for foreigners (CATE) where, according to law, they cannot be detained for longer than 72 hours. There, migrants have a second, more detailed, interview with the police.
After this, they are placed in other facilities or structures in the Spanish territories, where they remain for different periods of time and where they receive training, health, and recreational support. Migrants are free to enter and exit these facilities freely.
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'From irregular situations to the job market'
"From the Canary Islands, migrants are transported by airplane," explained the secretary of state. She underscored that at present "the number of arrivals in Spain is very high" – approximately 115,000 people in the last two years. With the system of accommodation for migrants "under pressure," she said strengthening this was a priority.
Sources from Cancela's ministry say there are currently around 60,000 available places for adult migrants. "Our focus is now on developing paths from situations of irregularity to enter the job market," Cancela said.
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