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The Ombudsman (Defensora del Pueblo), Soledad Becerril, took part today in an international meeting of Ombudsman Institutions on migratory flows, which is being held in Tirana (Albania).

Soledad Becerril gave an address on the role of the Ombudsman in combating negative stereotypes and hate speech.

She pointed out that “hate is used for the purpose of destroying” and “it should be combated with the laws of the democracies that penalise the perpetrators, and with education in the defence of human rights and the values that make coexistence possible”. “The destruction of Palmira is an act of hate. Sending a lorry hurtling against people who are walking through the city is an act of hate”.

In the opinion of Soledad Becerril, “we, the Ombudsmen, guarantors of fundamental rights and of people’s dignity, should speak out against any display or proclamation of hate”. She also stressed that Ombudsmen should keep a watch on social networks and condemn anything that is demeaning to human dignity, as well as expressions of hatred.

In her address she explained that sometimes the problem is to distinguish between hate speech and offensive or unpopular speech that is protected by freedom of speech.

The Ombudsman indicated that hatred is also displayed towards refugees, towards people fleeing from wars. “The generous Europe of two years ago is back-pedalling. The pictures of rubber dinghies in the Mediterranean, crammed with human beings, don’t appall us; of children drowned on the shore or the picture recently of little Omran covered in blood, in Aleppo, a city that today is razed to the ground, do not leave us sleepless. European citizens protest at the arrival of refugees.” And she went on to say that she applauds the policy of the German chancellor in this matter.

Soledad Becerril ended her address asking for a common asylum system, and some common rules and procedures for receiving refugees. She also appealed for the European Union to continue to be a free movement area, because the contrary means that rights and freedoms achieved over the space of many years will be abolished.

Afterwards the Ombudsman visited the open centre for refugees in Babrru, Tirana, where, among others, there is a group of Iranians who have had to leave their country.