Catalan president and Barcelona mayor reaffirm offer to take in refugees

The Barcelona and Catalonia authorities have repeated their offer to welcome stranded refugees. The heads of both executives restated their willingness to take in migrants on Sunday, with the Catalan NGO ProActiva Open Arms reporting news of another seven boats stranded in the Mediterranean with around 1,000 refugees on board.

Catalan president Quim Torra said the country “is ready to take in at least 1,800” refugees. “We open our doors to face this humanitarian drama, and we ask Europe not to look away,” he added on social media. Meanwhile, Barcelona mayor Ada Colau offered Barcelona as a “safe harbor” for the stranded ships.