Groups to highlight refugees with rallies on Monday
• SOS Refugiados rallies, demos planned for 20th June World Refugee Day • Organizers seek to focus election campaigns on plight of…
Refugees & Migration
Cardinal’s controversial remarks trigger inquest
• Fiscalía opens investigation into alleged homophobic, anti-feminist comments • Valencia Archbishop said one of most conservative of Spain’s Catholic prelates The…
Migrant arrivals to Canarias, Almeria unabated
• Salvamento Marítimo rescues 57 migrants off Canaries, 33 off coast of Almeria • Steady arrival of sub-Saharan economic migrants, asylum seekers…
Spain receives more groups of Syrian, Iraqi refugees
• 67 refugees resettled this week from Eritrea, Syria, Iraq, C. African Republic • Nearly 600 expected by end-June, far short of…
Spain receives first of 586 refugees expected by July
• Two groups of refugees from camps in Greece, Italy arrive to Spain this week • Interior Ministry says more groups set…
Survey sees most Spaniards welcoming refugees
• 97 percent of Spaniards surveyed in favor of accepting refugees into Spain • 18 percent would welcome refugees into home, 31…
Amnesty appeals to European empathy on refugees
• Amnesty España issues video to let Spaniards ‘experience’ refugees’ plight • Campaign calls on Spain & EU to do more to…
Pro-refugee demos to target 26-J election campaign
• NGOs, trade unions & political parties call for demonstrations nationwide • Groups target ‘World Refugee Day’ to make election issue of…
Refugees’ plight focus of Valencia’s PhotOn festival
• Sixth PhotOn Festival includes exhibitions, films, conferences, guided tours • Refugees from Syria and Iraq the focus of 2016 annual photojournalism…
#VIDEO: Pro-refugee ‘okupas’ take over BCN’s Llotja
• Alternative Labour Day march spawns occupation of historic ‘Llotja’ building • Protesters demand building be used to shelter Mid-East refugees and…
NGOs send mobile kitchen to aid refugees in Greece
• Mobile unit will serve up to 500 refugees per shift on island of Lesbos • First of several mobile units to…
Meet Spain’s new far-right, anti-immigrant party
• Three ultra-right parties form ‘Respeto’ to defend Spain against immigrants • German anti-Islamic ‘Pegida’ party leader lends support at ‘Respeto’ Congress…
Spain says ready to accept 87 refugees from Greece
• 87 refugees would bring total to 105 asylum seekers resettled by Spain to date • 1,800 per month for rest of…
UNHCR asks Spain to do more to resettle refugees
• Spanish private donations to UNHCR refugee work highest in Europe • EC report says Spain missed deadline for resettling 467 asylum…
Opposition parties, NGOs oppose refugee returns
• NGO to file complaints with EU Commission, courts of Human Rights & Justice • Political parties accuse Rajoy of violating Congressional…
Oxfam Intermón calls on Spain to immediately accept 850 of ‘most vulnerable’ Syrian refugees
• NGO says Spain should help resettle Syrian elderly, ill, women & children • International development aid organization Oxfam’s Spanish affiliate, Oxfam…
#VIDEO: CEAR’s Getafe refugees center gets new ‘Welcome’ mural from Boa Mistura arts collective
• ‘Freedom does not need wings, what it needs is to put down roots’ • Madrid-based arts collective Boa Mistura completed a…
Activists, unions & opposition parties up pressure on Spain to reject EU-Turkey refugees agreement
• 120 organizations call demonstrations today in 50 cities across Spain • Labor unions, refugee activists, human rights groups and opposition politicians…
Spain backtracks on EU-Turkey refugees deal, says collective expulsions contrary to international law
• EU responds to Spain’s position with re-assertion of ‘legality’ of accord • Following pressure from aid agencies, human rights groups and…
Spanish NGOs criticize EU agreement to return all migrants & refugees to Turkey to await processing
• UN High Commission on Refugees says deal violates international norms • Spanish refugee assistance and human rights NGOs have roundly criticized…
Spain to make ‘effort’ to take refugees, despite latest EU plan to return all new migrants to Turkey
• Spanish rights groups say EU-Turkey deal would violate UN refugees treaty • While a new draft EU agreement with Turkey reached…
NGO charges Spain, other EU border states with violation of women and children refugees’ rights
• Thousands of children separated from mothers, never heard from again • Amid the chaos of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers…
Pan-European study shows Spain lagging in terms of ethnic diversity, political representation in Congress
• 10 pct of population foreign-born, but under-represented in Congress • A new study of the number of immigrants elected to public…
#SafePassage for Refugees: marches slated for more than 25 Spanish cities at 12 noon, Saturday Feb. 27th
• Marchers will demand an end to ‘closed borders’ policy toward refugees • More than 25 marches are planned in cities across…
Nearly 14,000 women in Spain at risk of forced prostitution from human trafficking & sex slavery
• Police freed 783 women from forced prostitution, sexual coercion in 2015 • Spain’s Interior Minister said during a press conference this…
Amnesty criticizes Spain for restricting freedoms, ongoing evictions and mistreatment of immigrants
• Global rights report says Spain curtails freedoms of assembly, expression • Amnesty International (AI) has denounced the Spanish government in its…
#VIDEO: Sculpture at undersea museum in Lanzarote reminder of daily plight of refugees, asylum seekers
• Sculpture depicts Middle East refugees’ attempts to reach safety • Art work installed at world’s first underwater museum in Canary Islands…
Compromís resolution in Valencia to call for halt to Spanish arms shipments where human rights at risk
• Saudi-purchased Spanish weapons linked to rights abuses in Syria, Yemen • Valencia’s Compromís coalition says it will introduce a resolution in…
Activists, Spanish government say 17,000 girls of African descent at risk of female genital mutilation
• Activists say girls under age 15 at risk in Spain may number up to 24,000 • Spain’s government Council of Ministers…
Oxfam Intermón slams Spain over contribution to Syria refugee effort on eve of global donor summit
• NGO says Spain has only met 30% of expected $185 mn relief contribution • Oxfam Intermón, the Spanish affiliate of international…
Barcelona, Madrid still awaiting refugees’ arrival, with food, shelter and budget set aside for months
• Officials blame Spanish government for ongoing delays in refugees’ arrival • Officials in the Spanish capital of Madrid and in the…