Andalucía offers to take in 1,200 refugees and wants a State plan to coordinate the regions

The president of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, announced yesterday that the regional government has offered to take 1,200 Ukrainian refugees, of whom nearly 900 will be put up in the Inturjoven youth hostels in the eight provinces. He also said that at the conference between the prime minister and the presidents of the regions, which is due to take place in La Palma on 13 March, he will be asking the government to set up a State plan to coordinate the arrival of refugees, and to start a special fund to help them.

Speaking at a press conference after a meeting of the governing council in La Rábida (Huelva), Moreno said there has been a wave of solidarity with the Ukraine refugees in Andalucía, and that information is available on the Junta website for people who want to help in some way.

“We, the Junta, want to help, cooperate and push in the same direction. We have offered medical resources and have made human and material resources available for the Ukraine Consulate in Malaga,” he said.

As well as the Inturjoven hostels, refugees in Andalucía will be accommodated at the Ifapa agrarian research and training institute, and 300 of them can also be housed in a residence in Malaga which is owned by a private individual who has offered it for this purpose. Moreno said the Junta is continuing to look for other accommodation.