Spanish government honours Òscar Camps: humanitarian or mafia?

The government honours Òscar Camps: the two faces of the award

Last Wednesday, Pedro Sánchez presented the Encomienda de Número of the Orden del Mérito Civil (a Spanish civil merit order) to Open Arms founder Òscar Camps at La Moncloa, in recognition of a decade of humanitarian work during which the NGO claims to have rescued more than 73,000 people in the Mediterranean and other crises. But the president's gesture has unleashed a storm of reactions that goes far beyond protocol.

73,000 rescues or a people-smuggling network

Supporters of the distinction highlight the courage of risking one's life at sea to save shipwrecked migrants. Sánchez described Camps's commitment as "radical in defence of life and human dignity". However, the official narrative clashes with a current of opinion that sees Open Arms as an organisation facilitating irregular immigration and profiting from the rescue business. It is argued that NGOs, by picking up migrants in international waters, act as "sea taxis" and create a pull effect that fuels the traffickers' mafias.

The debate over funding and connections

Alternative media and economic analysis forums have pointed to Camps's connections with the circle around President Sánchez and the so-called "Catalan bourgeoisie". Links to George Soros are cited, along with the alleged existence of a multimillion-euro business behind the rescue NGOs: hotels, meals and payments for migrants once they arrive in Spain. Although there is no conclusive evidence, the shadow of suspicion hangs over the award.

Precedents and the future of the honour

Some observers recall that similar honours have been withdrawn from figures of the Franco regime, and suggest that Camps's recognition could meet the same fate if the government's political colour changes. Meanwhile, the anger continues: some call for the Open Arms ship to be sunk or set on fire, while others claim Camps should be in prison for aiding illegal immigration. The polarisation is total.

The unsettling detail: even those most critical of the award cannot agree on whether Camps is a naive idealist or a incivil. Perhaps that very ambiguity is what defines Spanish migration policy.