Warm welcome

Betty Henderson

THE latest national figures reveal that Spain has welcomed almost 170,000 Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of the Russian invasion of the country last February according to the latest figures released from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

More than eight million Ukrainians have been displaced by the conflict and forced to seek asylum in European countries, and Spain has been one of the countries to welcome Ukrainians in vast numbers. Authorities in Spain moved quickly to create systems to integrate Ukrainian refugees into their new home, including robust social support mechanisms and employment opportunities which mean that nearly 13,700 refugees are now in employment in Spain. Refugees have also been offered health, education and financial support. Of the 167,596 Ukrainian citizens who have been settled in Spain as residents, 63 per cent are women and 37 per cent are men. The Ukrainian resident population in Spain also more than doubled from 96,687 before the invasion to 193,292. The Valencian Community has welcomed the most refugees at 45,159 followed by Catalonia and Andalucia.

A JAEN resident who placed pieces of meat on the street containing concealed sharp objects with the alleged intention of killing dogs was sentenced to seven months in prison.

A court in Jaen sentenced a resident of the municipality of Torredonjimeno for unjustified mistreatment of domestic animals with the intention of causing their death. Specifically, he was sentenced to seven months in prison for leaving meat containing nails and pins in dog walking areas.

In addition, the sentence disqualified him from exercising any profession, trade or business related to animals or their keeping for