STOP MARE MORTUM [Barcelona - Spain]

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In Barcelona, ​​the public platform "STOP MARE MORTUM", in which is included the team FUTURE - Convergence of Cultures, held a rally to demand the creation of a real network of welcoming refugees municipalities in Catalonia.

The rally on Friday, September 4 was held before the meeting of Cities for the Common Good, organized by the city of Barcelona, ​​with the presence of mayors from other Spanish cities who had declared their willingness to act as "cities of refuge" .

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In the press call it was said:

Thousands of refugees and migrants arriving in Europe, or even die on the road, fleeing armed conflict and instability that exist in their countries of origin. This reality, however, is not new but a trend that since 2013 has been increasing fruit of the conflicts of the countries on the Mediterranean and Europe itself: Syria, Afghanistan, Ukraine ... For the platform, refugee is anyone who is forced to leave their country by war, economic reasons of sexual orientation or any other infringement of rights that endangers his life. Currently the situation is critical and therefore we urge governments to put solutions.

Stop Mare Mortum calls for citizen mobilization as a tool of political pressure and that's why convenes a concentration with candles under the slogan "Here yes, Catalonia is home".

After the meeting with the City Council on 1 September, where Sto Mare Mortum participated, we welcome the decision of the city to lead the process can become a real network of cozy municipalities in Catalonia and provide more budget heading for the reception. Civil society requires municipalities around the country to fulfill their responsibility to protect human rights and as citizens closer to the administration, to undertake to guarantee the right to asylum and to provide solutions to the vulnerable many people regardless of their administrative status. We want more of the same populations that have, for the moment, Sabadell or Sant Feliu de Llobregat to join.

From the platform we ask the Government and the municipalities:
- Coordination between all the authorities responsible: Councils, Generalitat, Spain and European Union.
- Increase the number of places for asylum in Catalonia. 28 offer is a ridiculous number to more than 7.5 million people and more than 1,600 applications that are expected this year.
- Raise the quality of the square host.
   1. Currently asylum time is 6 months. We believe this is insufficient time for a person to overcome the traumatic experience of exile and to be autonomous (to learn the language, know the country, finding work ...). After these six months the person is unprotected. So we think it should be a minimum of two years.
   2. Create a proper reception facilities and support needs (psychologists, social workers, interpreters, lawyers ...) and individualized.
- Universal access to public services (health, education, social services, housing, employment services ...).
- Create a network of cozy Catalan municipalities. - We want other people to follow the line of Barcelona, ​​Sabadell or Sant Feliu de Llobregat.
- Create a network of host families the resources and the necessary guarantees. Provide adequate to the organizations working with the refugees to meet them with guarantees resources.
Initiate policies and ensure municipal development cooperation with transforming vocation.
For all this we think that the budget of 100,000 euros that the Government has allocated to International Protection Plan of Catalonia 2014 is inadequate and therefore requested a budget increase of urgency.

Moreover, Stop Mare Mortum develop a proposal that will reach all the political groups to bring their town meetings.