Rescuing people is not enough: a clear migration policy is needed
Rescue reports from the Canary Islands record 661 people over 48 hours, 339 arrivals in Lanzarote in one day, and other partial totals of 418 and 538 over two-day periods. The lack of comparable figures makes it impossible to assess the results and leaves a key question unanswered: how can rescue be combined with the orderly management of arrivals?
Saving lives at sea is an immediate obligation. But a government does not meet its responsibilities simply by rescuing boats: it must explain what policy it follows afterwards, how it is co-ordinated and what results it achieves. The available figures describe an emergency, but do not make it possible to assess whether the migration response is working.
In waters around the Canary Islands, 661 people were rescued over 48 hours; in Lanzarote, 339 arrivals were recorded in one day, alongside other partial figures of 418 and 538 people over two-day periods. As the time periods and counts are not necessarily equivalent, they cannot be added together or presented as a single series. For that very reason, the authorities should publish consistent figures and clearly explain what each tally measures. Without comparable information, there can be no serious assessment or accountability.
The second requirement is order. A rescue is a necessary humanitarian response, but it is not, on its own, a migration policy. It is important to know how assistance is co-ordinated, what procedures are followed and what happens after each arrival. When these matters are not explained, the public sees a succession of emergency incidents, but no strategy capable of anticipating them.
Nor is it responsible to claim that these figures alone prove a pull factor: the available material provides no data on the reasons for the crossings and does not establish such a link. But the Government must avoid allowing a lack of clarity and a comprehensive response to fuel the perception that arrivals are being managed without predictable rules. Humanity and control are not incompatible goals; both require institutions to act firmly and transparently.
The Canary Islands face a specific pressure, although these figures cannot be applied to Guardamar or the Vega Baja. The task is to learn from the scale of the challenge and demand a policy whose results can be verified. Rescuing people is essential; governing also means managing arrivals, explaining decisions and answering for the results.
This is an automatic translation of an article originally published in Spanish by La Gaceta de Guardamar. If in doubt, the Spanish version prevails. Read the original · More news in English