Her organization, Caminando Fronteras (Walking Borders), provides a lifeline to migrants risking their lives on perilous journeys across the Mediterranean and Atlantic seas to reach Spain via various migratory routes from different African countries. Often traveling in overcrowded and unsafe boats, these migrants face extreme danger. Maleno uses social media daily to alert and help locate drifting boats, facilitating maritime rescue operations. Her actions have helped save more than 200,000 lives as of 2024.
As an expert in migration and human trafficking, with a particular focus on the rights of women and children, Helena Maleno has made significant contributions to the field. Through her organization she has tirelessly defended human rights—work that has exposed her to years of persecution, threats, and violence, putting her life at risk.
In 2014, Maleno survived an assassination attempt in Tangier (Morocco) after intervening to protect women and children during racist raids. On December 5, 2017, she was summoned by the Moroccan judiciary and accused of human trafficking and facilitating illegal immigration—charges that could have resulted in a life sentence. These accusations were based on four reports from the Spanish police’s border control unit (UCRIF), stemming from an investigation that began in 2012 without judicial oversight and in violation of her fundamental rights.
Despite her legal victories, the harassment has continued. On January 23, Maleno reported being violently deported from Morocco and separated from her young daughter for 32 days.
She continues her vital work in the face of ongoing threats to her life and must be accompanied by international organizations that support and protect human rights defenders.
Helena Maleno’s work has received international recognition, earning her numerous prestigious awards. These include the “Nacho de la Mata” Human Rights Award (2015) from the General Council of Spanish Lawyers, the Human Rights Award from the Human Rights Association of Spain (2018), the MacBride Peace Prize (2018) from the International Peace Bureau, and the Pimentel Fonseca Prize (2019).
The information on this page was last updated on 05/22/2025 and was provided by the Luminary.
