30 years ago, media reported for first time about death of a boat refugee on sourn coast of Spain. Three years later, in port city of Algeciras, several aid organizations joined Algeciras Acoge – Algeciras Association. Her spokesman, Jesús Mancilla, warns against beating political capital from numbers of refugees and to divide m into first and second class migrants.
Online Time: Mr Mancilla, in Spain, a lot of refugees are arriving by boat, positive mood in population reminds of those in Germany in summer of 2015. Meanwhile, mood in Germany has changed. Is re a danger in Spain too?
Jesús Mancilla: The reactions of population to arrival of refugees have so far been marked by great solidarity. They bring a lot of clos to reception centers, including food. In social media, you read many xenophobic messages, but I believe that se are voices of a loud minority. In Spain, however, re has been a radical right-wing party called Vox for some years now. She is not represented in Parliament, but on Wednesday she wants to hold a big meeting here in Algeciras. That is very disturbing. I think that Wednesday will give an impression on how much consent to meet xenophobic statements here.
Online Time: A popular party, like conservative Partido Popular, has recently been alerted to arrival of supposedly millions of migrants. Will new chairman, Pablo Casado, be able to make political capital out of it?
Mancilla: The intention is quite obvious. The play with numbers of incoming migrants belongs to this policy. Then we would like to point out that this year already 24,000 migrants arrived, more than in whole of 2017. But look will only be a few years back: 2006 reached 40,000 migrants Spain. So it is totally inappropriate to use current numbers to trigger such an alarm. What politicians like Casado and also chairman of Liberal Citizens ' party, Albert Rivera, also conceal, is fact that more people leave Spain than arrive. According to studies, we would even have to double number of immigrants in order to maintain our social system in today's form.
Jesús MancillaIs spokesman for Association Algeciras Agoce, to which several relief organisations for refugees have joined.
Online Time: Spain's new prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has Seenotrettungschiff Aquariusmit 600 boat refugees on board, after Italy refused to allow him to access his ports. The conservative opposition accuses him of having caused a suction effect.
Mancilla: The foreclosure of Italy is certainly a factor, but not decisive one. People from sub-Saharan region have not been on road since last June. They've been broken up months ago, maybe even years ago.
Online Time: Neverless, Sánchez seems to react to power of images and to slow down.
Mancilla: After decision to let Aquarius go to Port of Valencia, we, as an organisation, hoped that situation of migrants in Spain would in principle be better. Unfortunately, that is not case. Your supply is insufficient. There are still not enough lawyers, doctors and psychologists who could take care of m. And that, although we see here in south almost every day an Aquarius arrive. Migration will not be stopped by not being prepared for it.
Date Of Update: 08 August 2018, 12:00
