The Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, visited Melilla today to monitor the progress of the Integral Development Plan, and to learn, from the hand of the first vice-president of the Government of Melilla, Miguel Marín, the needs and objectives of the autonomous city. Torres, who thanked the authorities for their warm welcome, highlighted the will to “reach agreements” and maintain “institutional loyalty” to articulate measures that improve the living conditions of the citizens of Melilla.
During his meeting with Vice-President Marín, the minister explained to him the pre-agreement reached between the Governments of the State and the Canary Islands for the legislative modification on the reception of unaccompanied migrant minors in the different communities, in order to relieve migratory pressure in the border territories, such as the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla.
Torres has insisted that the legislative amendment establishes “financial sufficiency”, and has revealed that, the advance of the Sectoral Conference on Children and Adolescents from July 18 to 10, intends to be able to bring this legislative amendment to Congress before the summer. The minister recalled that “today it is the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla, which had 2,000 minors; but tomorrow it can be another territory”, as was Andalusia in 2018.
“The important thing is to provide a humanitarian response to vulnerable people such as girls and boys,” he added. “I hope and trust that we can move forward in the agreement, with institutional loyalty, to resolve a situation that has come for many years. It is a matter of State”, added the minister, who joined the appeal to the solidarity of all the autonomous communities made by the first vice-president of Melilla.
The minister and the representatives of the autonomous city discussed, at their meeting, different issues that concern them, such as the progress of the Integral Development Plan, approved in 2022. “We are committed to holding regular technical meetings to follow up on the Plan,” Torres said.
But other topics of interest have also been addressed. Thus, in relation to commercial customs and passenger traffic, the minister showed his desire to “walk towards maximum normality”, and valued the implementation of the “intelligent border” of Melilla, with an investment of ten million euros.
The minister also referred to the recovery of the 50% social security bonus in Ceuta and Melilla, and considered it “good news” that the measure enters into force in November, following the request of the two autonomous cities. Torres has also highlighted the benefits of the labor reform for workers, which has led to an increase in Melilla from 8% of indefinite contracts to about 40%.
Regarding connectivity, he wanted to highlight advances such as the bonus of 75% of the price of tickets for residents of the most remote territories. The minister pointed out that the “budgetary effort” to maintain this measure is “considerable”, about 1.3 billion euros, but that “it must be defended, because it is “a question of social justice for the peripheral and ultraperipheral territories”.
He also recalled the commitment of the Secretary of State for Transport to carry out a pilot test of Public Service Obligation for flights between Melilla and Madrid, which “after being able to extend to other territories of the country”.
Important investment in Health of the Government of Spain
On Health, he has argued that remote territories have “diverse difficulties”, which have been solved with more technological means. “The fact that we can have in Ceuta, Melilla, the Canary Islands or the Balearic Islands computerized axial tomography, magnetic resonances or even that it can be treated with nuclear medicine is an important advance that allows us to strengthen a fundamental pillar of the Welfare State such as public health,” said Torres.
The minister has highlighted the important investment made by the Government of Spain in the new University Hospital of Melilla, as well as other investments in health personnel. “In any case, I understand, understand and share the need to improve as much as possible a basic service such as healthcare. Any citizen of this country has the same rights in this matter,” he added.
Torres was also open to studying the requests to expand the “self-government” proposed by Melilla. “We believe that greater self-government means no less state, but quite the opposite. We are in the state of autonomies, and more autonomy means more state.”
On the “necessary reform” of regional financing, the minister pointed out that, in July, there will be a Fiscal and Financial Policy Council, and also a National Commission of Local Administration to address this issue. The minister recalled that, since 2014, this update has not been made. “To carry it out, we also need the proposals of the autonomous communities and cities, in order to reach an agreement,” he said.