Urkullu asks that the commitment to transfer the immigration policy demanded in the previous legislature to Euskadi be “translated now”
MADRID, 11 Ene. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Several autonomous communities have asked the Government for explanations for the migration pact announced this Wednesday with Junts and, specifically, the Canary Islands, Murcia and the Balearic Islands have requested that the Sectoral Migration Conference be convened.
Thus, the spokesperson for the Government of the Canary Islands, Alfonso Cabello, has demanded an “urgent” meeting of the sectoral migration conference to clarify the agreement reached and has shown the “concern” of the Canary Islands Executive. In this sense, they hope to know “the fine print” given that it is “essential” to know what type of agreements are reached with the autonomous communities.
Cabello has criticized that they have “no information” about this agreement and has defended that the sectoral level “is where it is time” to address agreements of this type because a negotiation between the Government and a political party cannot “condemn” the Canary Islands.
Murcia has also requested a meeting of the Sectoral Immigration Conference so that the Government explains the scope of the transfer of this competence and the consequences that it will have with respect to the rest of the autonomous communities, for example, in what has to do with the reception process of immigrants arriving in the Canary Islands.
In any case, he has been “absolutely against” the transfer of immigration powers. “It is a state competence and it should remain so,” stated the Murcian Government.
The Balearic Islands have also asked that the Sectoral Conference meet to analyze the pact and to explain to them the extent to which the agreement between PSOE and Junts reaches, in addition to knowing the effects it will have on the rest of the autonomies, given that they understand that it is a policy ” very important” that it has to be “carried out in a coordinated manner”, even at the European level, and there has to be “solidarity between autonomies”.
In this case, he has also given the example that if the Canary Islands request the transfer of people to the Peninsula, the pact has to clarify whether or not Catalonia can receive migrants.
For her part, the second vice president and counselor of Social Services, Equality and Housing of the Generalitat Valenciana, Susana Camarero, has demanded that the Government explain the scope of the decision to transfer immigration powers to Catalonia.
“Immigration policy is a State issue and must be treated as such and not be subject to the capricious decisions of the Sánchez Government,” Camarero said in statements provided to Europa Press, in which he warned that immigration policy ” “It cannot be a bargaining chip for the interests of the Government.”
Meanwhile, the president of the Autonomous City of Melilla, Juan José Imbroda (PP), has requested the urgent convening of the Conference of Presidents of Autonomous Communities, to address the transfer of immigration matters to Catalonia given “the pernicious effects” that can have a measure in the control of irregular immigration that arrives in the two Spanish cities in North Africa.
The Catalan Generalitat itself, governed by ERC, has asked the Government to know “the fine print” of the transfer of powers in immigration matters because “there are only some diffuse commitments, there is no specificity or fine print.”
In any case, the Government considers the agreement “very relevant”, although it has not negotiated it with the Executive. “Simply, welcome to the negotiation. If we are able to do it well, we can achieve important powers for citizens,” said the Minister of the Presidency, Laura Vilagrà.
Meanwhile, the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has accused the Government of Pedro Sánchez of creating “a de facto nation” by ceding migration powers to Catalonia, a “chimera” that will be paid for “with the money of all the Spanish people”.
In statements to the media upon leaving the XIV Spain Investors Forum, Ayuso assured that the transfer of migration powers gives a worrying image of Spain, since it is a country that lives “extorted” and is managed from Geneva.
In this sense, he has questioned whether the European Union allows “de facto a nation to be created”, “which is what is done when one controls foreigners, immigration.” “What are you going to do? Borders too?” he asked her.
Furthermore, he referred to some statements by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, in which he described the policies of the former president of the Generalitat Quim Torra as “racist”. “Just today we saw a video of Pedro Sánchez when he said that those from Junts carried out supremacist, racist, xenophobic politics… Are you going to give the status of foreigners to those who practice racism with citizens?” He launched.
For his part, the Lehendakari, Iñigo Urkullu, has stated that the Government must “now express” the commitment to transfer to Euskadi the immigration policy that was already demanded by the last legislature.
Likewise, after demanding “legal security and stability” from the Spanish State, he said that he believes it is up to the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, to start a round with the regional presidents “and with the Lehendakari, first of all” to address pending issues.
