Catalan government to launch in 'upcoming weeks' scheme to welcome Palestinians

The Catalan government will launch a scheme to welcome Palestinians into Catalonia in the "upcoming weeks," foreign affairs minister Jaume Duch told media outlets on Friday.

Duch met with several humanitarian aid organizations at Catalan government headquarters for a meeting of the Catalan Humanitarian Aid Committee amid a ceasefire agreement between the Israeli government and the Palestinian group Hamas.

The scheme is part of the announcement made by Catalan president Salvador Illa during the 2025 general policy debate held this week at the Catalan parliament. The goal is to help those Palestinians who can temporarily reach Catalonia to study or receive medical treatment not available in the West Bank or Gaza.

"We have shared the proposal with these entities, as some will have to help us,for it to become a reality," Duch said.

Asked about the extra €2 million in humanitarian aid announced by Illa, Duch said that the government will donate it to groups working "on site," such as the United Nations, the UNRWA, or other organizations.

"These agencies are the ones that can help the most and very quickly," he told media outlets.

"We will not deploy our teams there; this is not how things work, but to help entities already present to be able to work," he added.

Duch said the meeting could not come "at a better time," after the ceasefire agreement. He added that based on how things develop, public administrations and civil society groups will need to be "ready for the situation."

"We hope there is a real ceasefire, and not a temporary ceasefire, so humanitarian aid can be delivered, which is necessary," he said.