The Canary Islands: beyond the sun and the beach

On Sunday 13 June, the programme Salvados on La Sexta aired a programme focusing on irregular immigration from Africa to Spain. The focus of this phenomenon was not on Ceuta and Melilla - both of which are in the news because of the crisis with Morocco - but on the Canary Islands, which showed people on the Iberian Peninsula that there are events in this corner of Spain that go beyond the cliché of sun and beach tourism.

How is the phenomenon of irregular immigration experienced in the Canary Islands, and how is the current diplomatic crisis between Madrid and Rabat experienced in the Canaries? These and many more are the questions that arise when one finds out about the upsurge in irregular immigration in the Canary Islands and the crisis between Morocco and Spain.

Before answering them, let us begin by listing the stereotypes that accompany the Canary Islands. Yes, we have sunshine almost every day of the year and we can go to the beach at Christmas. It is true that geographically we are part of the African continent. We have a special accent that causes admiration in the Iberian Peninsula, we have one hour less (which, by the way, should be the one that applies to the whole of Spain). On the offensive side, it bothers us that they think we are lazy and that we are close to Andalusia (who doesn't have a map of Spain where the Canary Islands appear in a square near the Gulf of Cadiz) and that this rectangle is a barrier of banana trees. Finally, it makes us uncomfortable when people laugh at the way we speak (explanation: we are capable of pronouncing the CH, it's just that we soften it). 
However, the Canary Islands are much more than these stereotypes: did you know that the only black deputy in Congress is a Senegalese immigrant who was once an irregular immigrant?¹ Many are also unaware that the headquarters of Casa África, which depends on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is based in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and that the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has a warehouse of the WFP - the UN programme responsible for food distribution - which has sent food to Yemen, among other destinations.

With regard to immigration and the crisis with Morocco, what happens in Africa is viewed with particular concern in the Canary Islands, as any negative event that happens there can have repercussions for us, either through migration or the possible loss of business opportunities with Morocco.

With regard to the migration crisis, the upturn so far this year and last and the different reactions from Madrid to what has happened in Ceuta and Melilla, together with what has happened in the Canary Islands, has created a feeling of abandonment in Canary Islands society. It is true that Ceuta and Melilla was a matter affecting national sovereignty in the heat of what experts consider to be Moroccan blackmail, which used its citizens to exert pressure on Spain. But the swift visit of the interior minister and the president to both autonomous cities to express solidarity left a bitter taste in the Canary Islands, which did not receive the same treatment when the migration crisis reached its zenith in autumn 2020, despite requests for both to travel to the field to learn about the situation.

It is important to highlight that when the well-known 'cayuco' crisis occurred in 2005-2006, Madrid's reaction was very effective, with good coordination between the Armed Forces and the State Security Forces and Corps in terms of accommodation and surveillance of the coasts, and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which began to take an interest in the continent (it is no coincidence that Casa África was founded in 2006). In addition, the EU acted forcefully, as the Canary Islands were among the first regions to become aware of the controversial Frontex, which was implemented in 2007, having the immediate effect of reducing the arrival of immigrants on the Canary Islands' coasts.

In terms of relations with Morocco, it is the Canary Islands' closest neighbour and commercial and diplomatic ties are solid (there is an Alawi consulate general in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and there are a considerable number of Canary Islands companies doing business in the country). It is also important to note that the Sahrawi issue - the cause of the current bilateral crisis - is deeply rooted in Canarian society both because of the proximity to the area and because of the colonial link (many Canarians settled there when it was part of Spain and then settled in the Canaries after Spain's departure); indeed, the Sahrawi activist Aminatou Haidar, one of the most prominent voices for an independent Sahara, lives in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. It is also a political issue for some of the Canary Islands' political parties, which proudly champion the Saharawi cause, going so far as to use their organs of power in favour of that cause². In the business sphere, through Proexca (the Canary Islands government's body for the internationalisation of Canary Islands companies and for attracting investment to the Canary Islands), Canary Islands companies in key sectors such as renewables and water treatment have managed to establish themselves in Morocco, to the extent that there is a Proexca office in the Moroccan city of Agadir, close to Western Sahara, a region with a high potential for business in the sectors described above. A deterioration in bilateral relations would have fatal consequences for Canary Islands companies, preventing the diversification of its economy, which is highly dependent on tourism, especially in terms of reducing unemployment, where we have the sad honour of being one of the autonomous communities with one of the highest rates in this respect. Moreover, it would ruin years of work by both the autonomous government and companies in setting up in Morocco, destroying business relations and friendship, as well as knowledge of the business culture and social reality of Morocco (it is important to note that both are relevant, especially in a Muslim country like Morocco).

In conclusion, beyond tourism, the Canary Islands experience realities that can be problematic for Spain. Irregular immigration is a well-known phenomenon in the islands, as was seen in 2005-2006. However, in the crisis in Ceuta and Melilla, Madrid's reaction was not the same, with the autonomous cities immediately receiving visits from the interior minister and the president of the government, something the Canaries did not experience when migration surged in the autumn of 2020. This created a feeling of abandonment in the Canary Islands, as if our problems did not exist, as if we were second-class citizens. With regard to Morocco, the Sahrawi cause is well known, both because of its proximity and because of the colonial link. Moreover, the Canary Islands have a lot at stake in the business sphere, as efforts have been made at the regional level to promote Canarian companies in Morocco. A worsening of relations would ruin this work, weakening the Canary Islands' economy, which is highly dependent on tourism and has a high unemployment rate.

As can be seen, not everything in the Canaries is limited to sun and sand. We also have our problems, which should also be those of Spain and those of Europe, as we are its southernmost border.  

1. Luc André Diouf, diputado del PSOE por Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Nacido en Senegal, llegó a España en 1991 con un visado temporal de turista, el cual expiró. Estando en situación irregular, se vio obligado a dormir en la calle. Para más información véase: Luc André Diouf: El diputado que durmió en la calle y temió que lo deportaran a Senegal | Público (publico.es)
2. Véase “El Cabildo pide denunciar violaciones de derechos en Sáhara”, disponible en El Cabildo pide denunciar violaciones de derechos en Sáhara | Canarias7