Marc Angel, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, firmly opposes the notion that border regions like the Canary Islands should serve as containment walls against immigration. He emphasizes that the Parliament’s stance is against transforming such regions into prisons for immigrants. Instead, the new Pact on Migration and Asylum aims to bring long-term solutions and promote solidarity measures.
According to Marc Angel, the proposal for the new Pact is already on the table, with the European Parliament advocating for a comprehensive response to the migration crisis based on solidarity, protection, and shared responsibility among Member States. The Pact seeks to improve the criteria for determining the responsibility of Member States in processing asylum applications (Dublin Criteria) and calls for a fair distribution of responsibilities.
He highlights that the new pact also includes a robust solidarity mechanism to assist countries facing migratory pressures, especially after search and rescue operations at sea. The Vice-President hopes for a positive response from the Council, which would enable the adoption of a legal text before the end of the current mandate.
EUROPEAN TOURISM AGENCY: SUPPORT FOR THE CANDIDACY OF THE CANARY ISLANDS
Regarding the Canary Islands’ candidacy to host the European Tourism Agency, Marc Angel is a strong supporter. He believes that such a move would bring the EU closer to its citizens on the outer edges of the Union. He emphasizes the need to build bridges between the central European administration system and its citizens, and having an agency in an outermost region like the Canary Islands would serve as an excellent tool for this purpose. Additionally, he commends Tenerife for its leadership in sustainable tourism, making the Canary Islands a compelling candidate for hosting the agency.
