Monday, July 31, 2006
Tenerife tourists help migrants
There are people in Tenerife - it has to be said, influenced by the tone of some media reports, which echo the stance of the local authorities - who seem to be mostly concerned about the diseases that immigrants could bring and the effect that these arrivals could have on the islands' image, putting tourists off.
Personally, neither of those has ever concerned me. One, as I have said before, legal immigrants, tourists and locals could all already be carrying diseases.
Secondly, any tourist worth having on our shores would not be put off, they would want to help. These reports seem to bear out both of those points.
"Tourists on a beach in Tenerife have come to the aid of 88 exhausted African migrants - among 205 who reached the Canary Islands on three open boats. Some tourists drove their off-road vehicles onto La Tejita beach [near El Medano on the south of the island] to help migrants who were too weak to walk."
Foreign sunbathers, especially Germans, were among those who helped while Red Cross units and the local police made their way to the beach.
"We handed out surgical gloves to people in case the immigrants had illnesses, but they didn't really care about that," Mr Melián said. "I was especially impressed by the young people, who gave them their things and helped, even though they could not understand a word they said."
The Daily Hate & Fear Mail, has the photos, but much as I might expect from readers of that newspaper, some who have commented appear far less generous than their German counterparts. And, if you think I am deliberately highlighting that to shame anyone who might think likewise, you would be right.
Tourists rescue boat migrants in Tenerife
Tenerife tourists help migrants
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4 Comments:
Pamela wrote (on
August 01, 2006)
Sadly, the west in general has turned its back on these people for far too long.
There really is no other way to deal with it, other than help them, because it is just plain logical that until they have a better future at home, they will just keep coming. Not even the risk of death on the journey will put them off. These people are starving and only really have a choice between a slow death from starvation, or a slightly more honorable one where at least they tried to improve their situation.
But did you see the comments from some of those Daily Mail readers? "Would have left them there." It makes my blood boil and I am ashamed to British when I see these nethanderals. I just hope someone remembers that when they need help.
Gerald England wrote (on
August 03, 2006)
I saw the news report and film on TV. I remember thinking that I'd read on your blog and in Tenerife News that this kind of thing was a regular occurance.
I expect this incident got more exposure because there were tourists there with cameras. What came over was the humanitarianism of the sunbathers who simply did the right thing and helped these people.
And talking of exposure I couldn't help noticing that the TV company had pixeleted over the breasts of the topless women who were helping!
So it is OK on british TV to show the suffering of the refugees but not naked breasts.
Pamela wrote (on
August 04, 2006)
Yes, it is an all too regular thing. Almost every day the local news is full of stories involving X hundred illegal immigrants arriving. I feel for them and equally feel for the Red Cross workers, who work day and night to help.
Agreed. It does seem to be a curiously screwed bit of irony that the suffering can be shown on British TV, but not the nudity.
I didn't see any of the reports on our TV chanels for this. They tend to pixel out faces of children here, but they show a heck of a lot more nudity than a few sunbathing breasts usually.
Actually, I bet they wouldn't have censored the images here, even if the boat people had landed in the next cove along - which is a nudist beach! :)
It would not be human to turn one's back to someone suffering like that.
Exactly what I would have done if I had seen this-- as well as documenting the heck out of it with the camera so to prevent any possible cover-up.
'tis sad. :(