Guardia Civil demanding "urgent" solution to migrant arrivals

Guardia Civil officers and migrants in Formentera. | Archive

Majorca Daily Bulletin reporterPalma04/11/2021 12:20

The Guardia Civil's association in the Balearics (AUGC) is demanding an urgent solution to deal with the "uncontrolled" increase in the number of migrants. The association says that there is a shortage of officers to devote to this and that the Covid protocol needs improving, as officers come into direct contact with the people who arrive on the islands.

The association adds that patrols are having to leave other services unattended to as they are diverted to dealing with the arrival of boats. Security in many municipalities is thus "impaired".

Officers have no idea if migrants are vaccinated or are infected. Because of the health risk, the association is calling for officers to be supplied with PPE.

An "urgent" solution is needed, as "someone has to be responsible" for coordinating all the services involved with the migrants. The AUGC says that this is currently carried out in "a sloppy way" and that it is not acceptable to the officers, to the migrants or to the population as a whole.