The head of the Red Cross urged European Union member states Sunday to follow Spain’s example of welcoming a rejected migrant ship and “put into practice” the humanitarian values promoted by the bloc.
Spain has “opened its arms at a time when many reject (refugees) and are not showing solidarity,” Elhadj As Sy of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies told AFP in the Spanish port of Valencia, where he was overseeing the arrival of 630 migrants from the Aquarius rescue boat.
“There are 66 million people right now seeking refuge and some of them are coming of course to Europe like they are going to other places because they are looking for support, they are looking for solidarity,” he added.
“Those are values that Europe is promoting. And we also expect from Europe to put those values into practice like we are seeing here today.”
The Aquarius migrants rescued off Libya’s coast last weekend were left in high-seas limbo after Italy and Malta bickered over who should accept them, sparking a major migration row.
Spain eventually agreed to take them in.
“We call on all other countries to follow suit in helping those in need in the name of the one fundamental principle, which is one humanity which we all share,” As Sy said.
He recalled that one-third of Lebanon’s population is made up of refugees, with another one million refugees in Jordan and three million in Turkey.
