The Popular Party of the Canary Islands, a partner of Coalition Canaria in the regional government, has distanced itself on Monday from the proposal to reform the immigration law made by the government it is a part of, which would make the referral of minors mandatory. The party claims that the proposal was not negotiated with them and was only communicated through WhatsApp. The party has made public the conditions they require to support the reform of the law. The President of the PP in the islands, Manuel Domínguez, believes there is still room for agreement and hopes that the government will consider the party’s requests before the vote on the reform in Congress.
The statements made by Poli Suárez, the regional general secretary of the PP, are in line with the party’s internal stance on a national level, which opposes the reform of the Immigration Law. The party rejects the proposal to make it mandatory to distribute unaccompanied migrant minors who arrive in the Canary Islands to the rest of the autonomous communities. Despite communication between the Minister of Territorial Policy and the PP parliamentary spokesperson, a clear agreement has not been reached. The government has rejected the party’s proposals but has indicated that improvements to the text can be made in the parliamentary process with contributions from different groups, including the PP.
The Popular Party is a governing partner in the Canary Islands with Coalition Canaria, a pact that resulted in the removal of Torres from the presidency last summer. The proposal for immigration reform is supported by the regional and central government. The President of the Canary Islands has expressed hope that the proposal will be accepted for processing by parliament. He stressed the need for a humanitarian response and called for a consensus to be reached. The possibility of the PP breaking the government pact over the proposal has been avoided by both parties, with the PP asserting that their partnership is solid and based on dialogue and understanding.
The President of the Canary Islands has made efforts to engage directly with his government partner. He emphasized the importance of a humanitarian response and expressed willingness to work towards ensuring the passage of the decree ensuring it is validated. The statements made by both parties indicate a desire to find common ground on the issue of immigration reform. While the possibility of a rupture in the government partnership over the issue has been downplayed by the PP, the regional president has called for collaboration and understanding to move forward with the proposed changes to the law. The process of negotiation and discussion between the government and the PP continues as the vote on the reform approaches in Congress.
