Spain's Equality Ministry seeks investigation into Vox leader's migrant comments

Spain’s Ministry of Equality has requested that the Prosecutor's Office investigate statements made by Vox parliamentary group leader José María Figaredo. The request follows interviews in which Figaredo used terms such as ‘hunting’ and ‘fishing’ to describe migrants arriving in Ceuta, while also characterizing the arrivals as an ‘invasion.’

The Ministry argues that these expressions go beyond political criticism of migration policy and instead aim to ‘dehumanize migrants by equating human beings with prey susceptible to being pursued and captured.’ Officials stated that phrases like ‘they must be hunted one by one’ constitute a call to action that could be interpreted as an incitement to physical violence and persecution.

Equality Minister Ana Redondo described the rhetoric as dangerous speech that incites hatred against vulnerable groups. In addition to the legal request to the Prosecutor's Office to determine if the comments violate Article 510 of the Penal Code regarding hate crimes, the Ministry has also referred the matter to the Independent Authority for Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination.