Red Cross halal meals in Spain spark outrage with no figures behind it

Red Cross, halal meals and the outrage that comes with no budget

How much does the halal menu that the Red Cross distributes to migrants actually cost taxpayers? Judging by the noise, it should be a fortune. The available data falls far short of that: the discussion contains not a single figure, no budget, no invoice. Just loud certainties.

Indignation without an invoice

The controversy starts with a photo: a tray with halal certification intended for people in reception accommodation. From there, everyone adds their own refrain. Some claim migrants "already eat better than some Spaniards" and that it all comes out of taxes. Others go further and smear the organisation without producing a single file or ruling. The curious thing about the case is that nobody stops to ask how much a halal-certified portion actually costs compared with a conventional one. The administrative surcharge exists, but it does not turn a basic plate of food into a luxury menu.

The comparison with Spaniards living in poverty is what sustains the anger. It is a legitimate comparison as a political question, and false as a calculation: humanitarian aid does not work like a household budget to be split between "our people" and "the others". Scrutinising public spending is one thing; assuming that everything a migrant receives is taken away from a citizen is another.

The photo will keep circulating. The budget will not. Outrage can fill any wall; clear accounts, not even half a column. Perhaps that is the real humanitarian aid that is missing: a little arithmetic.