The Mayor, Ana Sala, and the Councillor for Social Services, Itziar Doval, met this morning with representatives of the Cepaim Foundation (Consortium of Entities for Comprehensive Action with Migrants), specifically with Marta Alcántara, from the Autonomous Directorate of the Valencian Community, Abdelkader Alef El Messari, state coordinator of the area of reception, emergency and international protection and Ana Sirvent, coordinator of the Alicante Centre.
A few days ago, CEPAIM opened a reception centre in the Aparthotel Carriosol, which currently houses 97 irregular sub-Saharan and Maghrebian immigrants, although it is expected to reach 140 immigrants next Monday.
The centre is managed by CEPAIM and funded by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Immigration and has been set up due to the national emergency situation in the Canary Islands and the need to find residential centres on the peninsula. This centre is part of the Humanitarian Emergency Programme.
The CEPAIM representatives have conveyed a reassuring message to the municipal representatives, as they have pointed out that "the centre has 24-hour external security, we have technicians, trainers, psychologists and translators. All users have signed rules of coexistence with their rights and obligations and a commitment to participate in the programme. The immigrants at the Calp centre have already passed a first filter in Fuerteventura and many are eligible for international protection (for fleeing a war, for their sexual orientation or religious confession). If someone fails to comply with their obligations, mechanisms are initiated to ensure that they leave the municipality and there is an interdisciplinary structure for inspecting the centre."
Initially, the centre will remain operational until 30 April, during which time CEPAIM technicians will study the vulnerabilities of each case for integration into the international protection system, if appropriate, or if there is a social network (family) in Europe, they will be provided with a transfer to their destination. An intervention itinerary is drawn up with each person, in all cases trying to avoid exploitation and international trafficking.
The mayor has stressed the lack of information from the City Council, to which CEPAIM has pointed out that the guidelines should have come from the Government Subdelegation, but that as it is a national emergency situation, the procedures have been rushed. Ana Sala also wanted to highlight that "although the City Council is not involved in this situation because municipal authorisation is not required, we will be in constant and permanent contact with those responsible for the centre in Calp."
The Councillor for Social Services, Itziar Doval, also said that "we want to send a message of calm, this is an organised and controlled situation."
As a curious fact, those responsible for CEPAIM have pointed out that this is not the first time that this foundation has created an emergency centre in Calp, it already did so in 2022 in the Imperial Park Residential Complex with the reception of Ukrainian immigrants due to the war.