Opening port to refugees ‘not enough,’ say human rights groups

Human rights groups in Catalonia have welcomed Spanish president Pedro Sánchez’s offer of Valencia as a safe harbor for a stranded refugee rescue ship with 629 people on board. Yet, they warn that opening ports to refugees is “not enough” and urge the Socialist leader to abandon the migration policies of his predecessor.

More than 22,400 people arrived in Spain through the Mediterranean in 2017, according to the report, “La Frontera Sud. Vies Marítimes” (The Southern Border. Maritime Routes) by human rights groups Irídia, the International Institute for Nonviolent Action (Novact) and Fotomovimiento.

In total, 250 people were reported dead or missing last year—a figure that has already been matched in 2018. Yet, human rights groups warn that the real figure could be three times higher.