Debate continues in Spain as a vote is scheduled for early April on a law requiring regions to take responsibility for housing migrant minors, many of whom are arriving on the Canary Islands. Meanwhile, a boat originally bound for the Atlantic archipelago was discovered off the coast of Brazil last week with ten bodies in various states of decomposition on board.
The Spanish Congress is set to vote on a new law that will require autonomous communities to take responsibility for migrant minors arriving in regions with overcrowded reception systems, such as the Canary Islands. The vote, scheduled for April 10, will finalize the amendment of Article 35 of the country's Immigration Law, allowing regions to begin implementing the changes.
The measure was approved by the Council of Ministers last week, but Spain's conservative People's Party (PP) has announced its intention to challenge the decree in court. However, the Canary Islands government, which has been struggling to care for the increasing number of irregular migrant arrivals, has called the law change "a matter of morality and justice."
"We are not afraid of appeals or those who want to go to the Constitutional Court," said Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo during a plenary session of the regional parliament on Tuesday (March 25), responding to the opposition expressed by the People's Party's at the national level.
Autonomous communities now have until March 31 to report the occupancy levels of their migrant accommodation. The number of minors to be referred to other regions will be determined based on criteria agreed upon at a special conference in April.
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Spain's Canary Islands race to house migrants
The decree law comes after months of political debate as the numbers of arrivals of migrants on the Canary Islands continues to increase. Authorities on the Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean say they have been struggling to manage the processing and housing of asylum seekers, many of whom are unaccompanied minors. The distribution policy outlined in the decree law includes changes to the immigration law as a whole.
Currently, the Canary Islands is home to an estimated 5,000 unaccompanied minors, despite having a capacity of only 900. About 37 percent of Spain's unaccompanied minors are hosted on the Canary Islands, with most arrivals occurring at the La Restinga dock on the tiny island of El Hierro, one of the primary entry points for those who survive the perilous journey across the Atlantic.
2024 deadliest record for Spain-bound migrants
Last year marked the deadliest on record for people attempting to reach Spain via irregular maritime routes. According to the NGO Caminando Fronteras, 10,457 people died or disappeared while attempting to reach Spain in 2024.
The Canary Islands saw the highest number of casualties. Caminando Fronteras collects data from multiple sources, including unofficial testimonies, which explains why its estimate is higher than the UN Migration Agency (IOM) figure. The IOM recorded just over 1,000 official deaths and disappearances, including 466 on the Western Mediterranean route and 696 on the Atlantic route to the Canary Islands.
Last week, on March 21, the Spanish rescue services (Salvamento Maritimo) disembarked 19 people, including three babies and two women, from a boat at the Arguineguín dock in Gran Canaria. The boat, carrying 19 individuals of North African origin, was found 9.26 kilometers south of Pasito Blanco in San Bartolomé de Tirajana, local news platform Canarias 7 reported.
The Guardamar Urania search and rescue vessel responded to the distress call and transported the group to the dock in Mogán.
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Migrants feared bound for Spain die off the coast of Brazil
In another development last week, a boat carrying 10 deceased individuals was discovered off the coast of Brazil, outside Spanish jurisdiction. The Civil Guard's Regional Coordination Center reported the finding, and government delegate Anselmo Pestana confirmed the discovery, emphasizing the dangers of the Canary Islands route. He said migrants often faced fatal risks due to lack of fuel or food. This tragedy follows similar incidents involving boats carrying deceased individuals found off the coasts of Tobago, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic.
Pestana also highlighted the ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling, stating, "We continue to fight these criminal organizations." He referenced a recent operation in Senegal, which led to the arrest of a mayor and the interception of three boats attempting to carry more than 500 migrants. "Our focus must be on dismantling these networks that traffic in people, putting lives at risk," Pestana said.
Casimiro Curbelo, leader of Spain's Gomera Socialist Group, has urged the Spanish government to seek greater European involvement in addressing irregular migrant arrivals, stating, "Brussels cannot continue to remain on the sidelines."