The Canary Islands are “pure border territory” and “border identity.” This is stated by social worker and researcher José Manuel Álamo. The islands have always been a place of cultural exchange due to their position on the map, their ties with Africa and Latin America and their consolidation as a tourist destination for millions of Europeans. Although the foreign population has grown in the Archipelago to exceed 20%, almost five points above the national average (15.9%), public integration policies are not advancing at the same pace. “Reactive policies are made. We deal with cultural diversity from the problems and difficulties, but the most developed countries in the world have multiculturalism as one of their hallmarks,” says the expert.
José Manuel Álamo was born in Gran Canaria and has dedicated his entire professional career to the management of cultural diversity and coexistence. He is part of the University Research Institute on Migration, Ethnicity and Social Development (IMEDES) of the Autonomous University of Madrid and has advised different public administrations throughout the country on their coexistence plans. After 20 years working in the Peninsula, the social worker has returned to the Archipelago, where he collaborates with public universities and works on unprecedented coexistence projects in the autonomous community.
“In the Canary Islands we do not have the perception of being a border because there are no walls, people do not see fences. Our wall is the sea. However, we are, and more and more,” asserts the researcher. Not considering the Archipelago as a border point and the lack of training in matters of cultural diversity explain, according to Álamo, why the islands are lagging behind in the design of effective public policies for coexistence.
“Andalusia already has 17 plans at the regional level. There are communities with less migratory impact than ours that are ahead, such as the Basque Country, Navarra or Catalonia,” he explains. The Gran Canarian researcher insists that attention to multiculturalism in the Canary Islands goes beyond managing migration that arrives by sea. “In the world we already talk about human mobility, not about migrations. For example, there are people who reside in the Archipelago but work for companies abroad. Classic tourism does not stop increasing… From all this complexity, the islands need to commit to interculturality,” Álamo defends.
The reception: structural and not temporary
The researcher emphasizes that the first step must be to replace reactive policies. For him, the political debate built around migrant children is an example of how migration is approached as a problem. A report published by the entities Irídia and Novact in December 2024 already warned that the tug-of-war between parties and governments to reform the Immigration Law and establish a mandatory distribution of minors consolidates “a criminalizing narrative” that presents immigration as a threat. “Minors have become the focus of political negotiations and hate speech,” this document stated.
Along these lines, the Cabildo of Gran Canaria has promoted in recent months an island strategy for the management of cultural diversity and coexistence. The objective is to achieve “peaceful coexistence” between the local population and those who arrive from other places. This is a project supported by all municipalities, public universities and citizens. The plan, contained in a 74-page document, is built around three axes: reception, inclusion and awareness-raising.
“Welcome is not a temporary phenomenon, but a structural one. When you leave a place and come back, you also go through a reception process, because you return disoriented,” he emphasizes. Along these lines, it insists on the need to strengthen coordination between the different agents involved in this phenomenon and improve the distribution of economic resources. “There is talk of the State and the autonomous community, but the Cabildos and the municipalities are very alone. “Navarra, for example, gives subsidies to municipalities to hire intercultural mediators to address local problems that may arise,” he points out.
Beyond the welcome, the inclusion of people who are already settled on the islands in culture, sports or business is key. “Human resources personnel must be trained to make pre-contracts for foreigners, a fundamental element to be able to have residence on the island,” suggests Álamo.
The last axis of this plan is the change of narratives and raising awareness among the population “to advance in a society that makes cultural diversity a positive asset.”
The Government of the Canary Islands is also working on the program Canary Islands Coexist. The ultimate goal is to develop a Canary Islands Plan for Immigration and Intercultural Coexistence that allows “guaranteeing adequate care and reception for the migrant population.” In Tenerife, the Juntas entity has also been working in the same direction since 2009, which has the support of the Island Council and the University of La Laguna. This initiative addresses coexistence from horizontality and plurality, in order to stop prejudices, fight racism and achieve equality.
“We are facing speeches where a few people and institutions that speak against immigration manage to have a strong impact on society, making racism grow,” recalls the researcher. Given the rise of xenophobia and anti-immigration policies, “the territory made up of citizens of the world who work together will be stronger,” Álamo defends.
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