Canary Islands Parliament approves military deployment for border control

The Parliament of the Canary Islands has unanimously approved an initiative to request the deployment of the Spanish Armed Forces and Frontex to strengthen border controls across the archipelago. The proposal, introduced by the People's Party (PP), seeks to establish a permanent strategy for maritime and aerial surveillance to prevent irregular migration and combat human trafficking.

The initiative includes six key points: reinforcing military and police resources, increasing international cooperation, improving migrant identification and assistance, expanding state reception capacity, strengthening return mechanisms, and securing funding for the extraordinary costs of migratory pressure. While the proposal received broad support from various political groups, Vox supported only four of the six points.

During the debate, PP deputy Jacob Qadri cited the 2006 ‘Operation Noble Sentinel’ as a successful precedent where military and naval assets helped manage a major migration crisis. He also called for greater state support, arguing that regional resources are currently at their limit.