Berlin.
Is Spain withdrawing from the affair when it comes to distributing refugees? No, says the foreign minister. His country will do even more.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares has defended himself against accusations that his country is not doing enough refugees record from Ukraine. “The Spanish government hasn’t put a cap on how many Ukrainian refugees can be taken in – so far 170,000 people have been accommodated in Spain. The fact that Poland or Germany have each taken in more than a million refugees from Ukraine is also because they are geographically much closer to Ukraine than Spain,” Albares told our editorial team.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) recently had a fairer distribution of war refugees requested from Ukraine. So far, Poland has taken in over 1.5 million Ukrainian refugees, Germany over a million, but Spain only 160,000. “It can’t stay like this,” said Faeser.
Albares countered: “Spain is taking in a large number of refugees, migrants and asylum seekers – from Africa, Latin America and the Ukraine.” Last year, 118,000 were asylum seekers and 32,000 were illegal migrants came to Spain. at. Added to this were 170,000 refugees from Ukraine.
Spain wants more distributive justice in Europe
Spain wants to push for more distributive justice during the EU Council Presidency, which begins on July 1st. “One of the objectives of the Spanish EU Presidency is to achieve a system of refugee distribution and regulation of irregular immigration in Europe based on accountability and solidarity,” explained Albares.
The minister indirectly criticized Hungary and Poland, which in the past have sealed themselves off from receiving migrants. “You can’t say: I’m only in favor of solidarity when it comes to finances or structural funds, but not when it comes to refugees and migration.” Spain will initiate a dialogue with countries like Hungary or Poland that will lead to more solidarity in the EU.
With a view to the Ukraine war, Albares announced that Spain will deliver six Leopard 2A4 tanks to Ukraine “in the next few days”. After that there will be a second package with four more tanks. “We will Ukraine for so long support as needed,” he added. “It’s about restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity in internationally recognized borders, including Crimea.
Also read: Will Leopard tanks turn the tide of war, Professor Masala?
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