Astrid Pérez: “Canary Islands Face Migration Challenge Alone, Urge a Shared, Solidarity‑Based European Response”

The president of CALRE and the Parliament of the Canary Islands led a meeting and a visit to a minor‑care centre in Lanzarote on Monday, together with institutional representatives and migration experts.

Event overview

The Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), through its Migration Working Group, held a day‑long session in Lanzarote focused on current migration‑management challenges and the upcoming implementation of the new European Migration and Asylum Pact, slated for 2026.

Astrid Pérez, president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands and of CALRE, moderated a special video‑podcast with institutional representatives and migration experts. During her remarks, Pérez emphasized the need for joint European action:

“Europe needs a shared and solidary response to the migration challenge.”

She also insisted that front‑line regions such as the Canary Islands must have a decisive role in any European migration policy.

The gathering took place at the Castillo de San José in Arrecife and included:

• Candelaria Delgado, Minister of Social Welfare of the Canary Islands Government.
• Mohamed Ouriaghili, Vice‑President of the Brussels Parliament.
• Juan Carlos Lorenzo, Coordinator of the Spanish Refugee Aid Commission.
• Louelia Mint, immigration‑law specialist and member of the Lanzarote Bar Association’s Committee on Immigration and Human Rights.
• Antonio Tirso Ester Sánchez, Professor of Legal Theory at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and author of Keys to the Comprehensive Realisation of Immigrant Rights.

The video‑podcast examined key topics such as border management, inter‑institutional coordination, the situation of unaccompanied minors, and the role of European bodies like FRONTEX. The recording will be broadcast on Tuesday, 2 December, on CALRE’s and the Parliament of the Canary Islands’ social‑media channels.

Visit to the minor‑care centre

After the podcast recording, Pérez, accompanied by Social Welfare Minister Candelaria Delgado and the participating delegation, made a private tour of an emergency centre for unaccompanied minors in Lanzarote. The visit aimed to understand the centre’s internal operations and the current needs arising from the surge in arrivals to the archipelago.

• The centre currently houses around thirty minors, though its capacity fluctuates due to continuous referrals. During peak periods, it has operated at double its intended capacity.
• A team of 18 professionals—including social workers, mediators, and educators—works in rotating 24‑hour shifts.
• The facility is male‑only, serving youths primarily from Morocco, Papua New Guinea, and Côte d’Ivoire.

During the tour, Minister Delgado explained the protocol that is activated from the first moment a minor arrives, covering both care and integration. She highlighted:

“Migration is necessary for the Canary Islands, but it must be orderly and, above all, must not endanger the lives of these children.”

The minors receive Spanish language training, as well as workshops and programs aimed at labour and social integration. Once they turn 18, they are transferred to emancipation resources that allow them to continue their education and move toward independent living.