Local sports residence chosen to welcome migrants rescued by Open Arms

The 50 male migrants rescued in the Mediterranean by a boat of the Proactiva Open Arms NGO will be given accomodation in the Joaquim Blume residence, which is run by the Catalan government in Esplugues de Llobregat, near to Barcelona.

The Open Arms boat, which is expected to arrive in the port of Barcelona on Wednesday, is also carrying five women with two children each, and three unaccompanied minors, who will be attended to in Barcelona city, said the Catalan authorities on Tuesday.

The Joaquim Blume which, which usually hosts sports people, has room for 140 and over the summer will not only host the 50 men from the Open Arms boat, but also socially vulnerable people and some accompanied, underage migrants.

According to the Catalan minister in charge of migration, Oriol Amorós, the hosting of the migrants in the Joaquim Blume hostal is temporary while work takes place on a “permanent” centre, although the minister refused to provide further details.

Barcelona’s deputy mayor, Jaume Asens, praised the cooperation between the different authorities and encouraged other Catalan towns to follow suit, pointing out that the Catalan capital has welcomed some 500 migrants rescued in the Mediterranean in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross coordinator in Catalonia, Enric Morist, who has overseen the operation, said the migrants would receive humanitarian treatment, including food, clothes and medical attention, as well as a 45-day permit to remain while their legal situation is clarified.