The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, visited Ceuta today, where, together with the President of the Autonomous City, Juan Jesús Vivir, he has followed the progress of the Comprehensive Plan for Socio-Economic Development.
Torres pointed out that, at the end of 2022, the agreement was reached for the Autonomous City of Ceuta and also for Melilla, with the approval of the Integral Plan, “with a budget unpublished so far” and whose coordination was entrusted to the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory. “They have the commitment of the Government of Spain to the full follow-up of this Plan, whose implementation is scheduled until 2026 and, in some cases, until 2030,” he added.
The minister wanted to indicate some of the achievements that have been achieved so far. “There have been advances for Ceuta to have all the advances in Health, such as having MRI devices, hemodynamics, robotics, as well as more health personnel,” he said. Torres believes that “Health is a pillar of the welfare state and has to reach all citizens equally, wherever they live, so the effort is fair in this area.”
Regarding Education, the minister said that “there are more dining scholarships and more Vocational Training cycles”, and that he is “walking” towards the achievement of the project for the City of Vocational Training, in which several ministries will participate. “This government is committed to Vocational Training, also in Ceuta,” he said.
Regarding transport, Torres stressed that “the improvement of Highway 352, with an investment of four million euros, will soon be a reality, because it has already been awarded, it is in tender and the works will start soon”. In addition, on the 75% bonus in national travel for the ultra-Pacific Territories, the minister has guaranteed that “they are aid that included the budgets of 2023 and, therefore, they are in the extension of those budgets in 2024”.
The minister also referred to two important projects. On the one hand, the submarine cable that will connect Ceuta with the Peninsula and, on the other, the disaffection of some Defense lands that will win the neighbors of the Autonomous City.
On the cable, he argued that “this is a leading bet on renewable, wind and clean energy” and clarified that “the steps are taken and the financial statement exceeds 300 million. It will soon be a reality.” In relation to the land, he considers that they must be delivered for the construction of houses. “There is a deadline until 2030, I hope earlier. Housing is a constitutional and fundamental right and it is necessary to dispose of the land,” he said.
Social Security bonus “will be resolved”
Torres also mentioned the demand of the Autonomous City for the recovery of the Social Security bonus for the Ceutians. “It is 18 million euros in employment that have been allocated to Ceuta,” he said. “The issue of the bonus was going to be resolved in the General State Budgets of 2024, but it is also going to be resolved without new budgets,” he revealed. “Hacienda will look for the instrument to carry it out. It will be resolved, either through amendments in living laws, or through decrees,” he has guaranteed.
In another order of things, during the appearance, the president of Ceuta, Juan Jesús Vivir, expressed his concern about the situation of unaccompanied foreign minors. Torres recalled that he chairs the Interministerial Commission on Immigration and that, next Monday, he will present to the Government of the Canary Islands a proposal for the modification of Article 35 of the Law on Foreigners with a system of distribution of children and adolescents.
“Legislative modification is essential. An immigration pact has already been approved in the EU, which could have been more ambitious, but it improves the previous situation, and establishes border territories in Europe,” the minister argued. “We have border territories in Spain, such as Ceuta, Melilla and the Canary Islands. Immigrants arrive in our cities, cayucos arrive on our coasts, and we must respond with State criteria and European Union criteria.
When an immigrant arrives in Ceuta, he does not arrive in this territory, he arrives in Spain and arrives in Europe.” On this, he appealed to the political groups. “In the Canary Islands, the PP says it will support this reform, but it has to be supported by the big parties in the Cortes Generales,” he said, acknowledging that “it is not easy to modify the Law on Foreigners, with the Constitution and the statutes of autonomy in hand.” Torres wonders what the response of the parties in the Cortes will be. “So far we know that the far-right says that, where they rule, they will not allow it. I hope the PP is up to the task.”