The mayors of Mogán, Onalia Bueno, and San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Concepción Narváez, agreed yesterday in stating that the feeling of security in these two municipalities has improved in a “palpable” way, while the incidents involving immigrants in the recent weeks, as well as the climate of tension generated, giving rise to some racist outbreaks.
After several meetings of the security boards, the Government subdelegate, Teresa Mayans, stressed that the “feeling of security” of the neighbors, as well as the coexistence “have improved, substantially”, in part due to the increase in the number of security in the south of the island, as well as greater coordination between local administrations and the security forces.
Mayans stressed that “it has been found that there are no conspicuous criminal actions or crimes,” as pointed out by the official data offered this week by the Government delegate, Anselmo Pestana. In this sense, he stated that crime has not increased due to the greater presence of immigrants “and, contrary to what some want to maintain, the data indicates that the incidents are minimal.” The subdelegate warned that “those who start hoaxes will be persecuted to generate xenophobia in a people that has always been tolerant such as the Canary Islands.”
The mayor, Concepción Narváez, understands that coordination has been “fundamental” so that the situation has improved because, she indicated, “public officials, hand in hand with the security forces, must be able to regain normalcy.”
For her part, the councilor of Mogán, Onalia Bueno, also emphasized the progress that has been made and the reduction in the atmosphere of tension, “especially due to the reinforcement of the Reserve and Security Group (GRS) of the Civil Guard.” , who spent two weeks in Mogán before returning to Tenerife. Now two units of this body have been incorporated “and it shows a lot, especially in tourist areas and so the neighbors point out.” In San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the reinforcement in security has been 40 National Police officers, in addition to the 300 who already serve in this municipality.
On the other hand, the subdelegate also announced that the opening of new resources for the reception of immigrants will continue to allow the “de-escalation” in the eviction of hotels, although it must be done progressively. “You can not take 500 people in a brusque way to a new space,” he said, but as new centers are opened, they will be evicted “as determined by the NGOs that manage the reception.”
In this sense, he indicated that this Sunday the Arguineguín Park hotel in Mogán will be left without immigrants, which came to house about 900 people, and in the coming days the transfer of foreigners welcomed at the Waikiki hotel in San Bartolomé de Tirajana will continue .
Likewise, Teresa Mayans announced to the two mayors in the south of Gran Canaria that, once the hotels in these two municipalities are evicted, they will not be used again for the reception of immigrants. The subdelegate pointed out that this circumstance will be possible “because we are not in the same situation as in November, since new resources have been made available to offer dignified care to those who need it.”
Concepción Narváez expressed his satisfaction with this “strong message” and that the hotels return to their normal activity as soon as the health situation allows it. Although the commitment of the Ministry of Migration was to empty the hotels on February 15, Onalia Bueno, indicated that “throughout this month and next” we will see how the facilities that host adult immigrants will be evicted, because the accommodations of minors will have a longer delay.
– .
