KarunaNews Story

A refugee center in Burbaguena in northeast Spain -- called ‘empty Spain’ due to years of outmigration and low birth rates - is now home to people from Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Colombia, Mali, Niger, Peru, Senegal, Ukraine and Venezuela, pushing the population above 350 from roughly 200. A school bus to a nearby town has restarted and the village's pharmacy, bar and bakery are again open almost daily. Accem, a Spanish non-profit organization that helps refugees and migrants, picked Burbaguena because it felt rural areas could offer better integration. Mayor Joaquin Peribanez says the parallel between refugees’ experiences and those who moved away in search of a better life helps create good ties between locals and newcomers. His brother, local baker Jesus Peribanez, who delivers bread to 14 nearby villages and has taught his trade to several of the center's residents, said their arrival has been "a revolution".