Hundreds of migrants have landed in Spain after more than a week sailing in search of a friendly port. Italy’s government had turned away the 630 migrants, including pregnant women, children, and people needing medical care, who had been rescued from rubber dinghies off the coast of Libya.
Matteo Salvini, Italy’s deputy prime minister and minister of the interior, said the people were “fake refugees” and that closing Italy’s port to the rescue ships was a political victory. Like the Republican party in 2016, Italy’s League party campaigned on a staunch anti-immigrant platform.
Migrants landed on shore Sunday in Valencia shouting for joy and singing with relief, where they were greeted by almost 2,000 volunteers and officials offering translation, medical care, and immigration processing. Spain, under its newPrime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has granted the migrants 45 days in the country to receive asylum processing and care. President Emmanuel Macron of France has also said refugees are welcome in that country.
Spain may be soon welcoming more migrants: rescue ships picked up more than 1,000 people Friday and Saturday.