How is Open Arms funded?

• Immigration. Who should welcome the shipwrecked Open Arms?
• Italy: Open Arms enters Italian waters despite Salvini's rejection

The NGO Open Arms ship is already sailing in Italian waters despite the Salvini veto, pending final permission to disembark the 151 immigrants, 31 of them minors, who are waiting on board to know their destination. The Spanish Government has already confirmed that it offers to host a party in the distribution between European states. Meanwhile, in recent days accusations have emerged from political forces such as Vox about the possible irregular financing of the organization operating in the Mediterranean .

Specifically, the deputy of the formation of radical right and general of the Marine Corps Brigade, Agustín Rosety Fernández de Castro , accused Twitter on August 8 to the Catalan NGO to patrol "the coast of Libya waiting for them to appear boats with people to rescue, "since the" Open Arms business is to transport immigrants. " "Thanks to this they get subsidies and private donations," insisted the parliamentarian, with which they pay their "workers and managers."

Rosety advocates "banning" NGOs engaged in maritime rescue operations because he believes that the work "must be the responsibility of the European States through their respective navies." He also believes that "NGOs look first and foremost for their own interests and use a lot of money." "The Open Arms thing is a lucrative business," adds the deputy for Cádiz.

This has reopened the debate on the financing of the organization, which in 2017 was questioned because the prosecutor of Catania ( Sicily ), Carmelo Zuccaro , investigated the alleged links between the NGO and the human trafficking mafias. Cause that "fell", according to Laura Lanuza , a member of the Catalan organization, which assures EL MUNDO that "there is no ship more inspected and more guarded than the Open Arms." Lanuza denounces at the same time "the intoxication of the media" that "broadcast fake news " about the alleged irregular financing.

The truth is that the entity's only proven income comes from donations from individuals and public funds. In figures, of the 3.5 million euros that Open Arms received between September 1, 2017 and September 1, 2018, 90% comes from contributions from its private donors and 10% from "municipalities such as Barcelona , Madrid, Zaragoza and Valencia, "says Lanuza. Despite this, the NGO has not yet provided data on its revenues this year, as they plan to do so in September.

Of these revenues, Open Arms states that 95.5% went to rescue missions in the Mediterranean and only 4% went to administrative expenses. The remaining 0.5% went to the Origin Mission , whose purpose is the prevention of the exodus of emigrants from Africa. The organization, since its foundation, has been articulated by more than 300 volunteers who have worked non-profit.

Despite the public assistance the NGO receives, neither the State nor the autonomous communities give it "any kind of subsidy". Only the Generalitat of Catalonia during 2015, the first year of the existence of Open Arms, provided a contribution that later disappeared "due to the financial blockade" of the last years caused by the economic instability generated by the independence challenge.

Among the 51,000 individuals who have supported Open Arms in recent years are former FC Barcelona footballer Xavi Hernández , who donated his yacht, or Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola , who gave 150,000 euros in 2018 to the founded organization by Campscar Camps .

In this sense, before the controversy generated by Vox, the pianist James Rhodes has added to the list of donors, who awarded the entity 1,000 euros. Rhodes, in addition, satirically showed the diploma generated by the Open Arms website when a donation is made, since it was attributed to the councilor of Vox in Fuenlabrada (Madrid), Isabel Pérez Moñino , in response to criticism of the radical right formation. Moñino had shaved "the progress of this country" by "boasting of moral superiority" and wanting to be supportive "with everyone's money."

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

• Spain
• European Union
• Vox
• immigration
• Open arms

Immigration The founder of Open Arms says Pedro Sánchez has denied him a meeting up to three times in writing

Italy The Open Arms, with 121 migrants on board, hopes to dock in Lampedusa

Immigration The Open Arms rescues 39 more people in the Mediterranean