The minister of Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, has revealed that they have been working «for months» with the European Asylum Agency to «strengthen the training» of professionals in the child protection system.
«We have also been working for months with the European Asylum Agency to strengthen the training of professionals working in child protection systems, especially in asylum and international protection,» she revealed. She also highlighted that they are working with the Government of the Canary Islands to advance a «framework protocol» for the care of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum.
This was stated by Rego on Tuesday in response to a question from Senator Fabián Chinea of the Socialist Grouping of Gomera, «about the temporary and geographical criteria the Government plans to follow to comply with the Supreme Court ruling attributing to the General State Administration the guardianship of immigrant minors with pending asylum applications.»
«My question is where these boys and girls will be accommodated and when they will be able to be accommodated,» Chinea posed, indicating that the concurrence of competences can be resolved «either through agreements,» which he believes would be desirable, or «through judicial resolutions such as the one known two weeks ago.»
«From there, we ask the Government for clarity and also agility in this management because we understand that we are at a crucial moment to address the reception of immigrant minors in a more effective way,» the senator emphasized.
For her part, Sira Rego emphasized «clearly» the «firm commitment» of the Ministry of Youth and Childhood «to the rights of migrant children» and «to individuals seeking international protection.» «Our commitment goes beyond complying with the Supreme Court ruling,» she added.
As Rego recalled, their commitment «was in the reform of Article 35» they presented in Congress last July «and which was rejected by the right,» and in the work of the Childhood Sectorial Conference, «where the right has blocked all agreement proposals and even meeting schedules.»
In any case, the Minister of Youth assured that they will «take charge of this situation» and explained that, within the royal decree-law to be voted on Thursday and within the sizing they are doing of the reception system, «the particularities related to asylum-seeking children are also included.» «We are working on it to provide a solution with the utmost speed,» she stressed.
Specifically, she recalled that this Thursday «the royal decree-law reforming Article 35 of the Immigration Law, in order to establish the obligation to distribute unaccompanied migrant minors among the autonomous communities when there is saturation, will presumably be validated,» which is the result of an agreement between the Government and Junts.
Regarding this royal decree-law, the minister emphasized that it «proposes a binding, solidarity, structured solution for unaccompanied migrant children throughout the country.» «We consider it a proposal of the State, a proposal of the country that guarantees reception under dignified conditions,» she stated.
Additionally, she indicated that they cannot leave unaccompanied migrant children, asylum seekers, or «any territory, such as the Canary Islands or Ceuta,» alone.
Therefore, she recalled that they have «contributed financially to the protection systems of these two autonomous communities» and highlighted that they are «promoting a royal decree of minimum standards for protection centers» that, in their opinion, will offer «a complete and structural solution.»
FUENTE