Hundreds of migrants evicted from abandoned school by riot police
Riot police arrive at migrants’ unsafe squat
- Police in northeastern Spain commenced an eviction operation to remove hundreds of mostly undocumented migrants from an abandoned school building in Badalona, north of Barcelona.
- The operation, carried out by Catalonia's regional police in riot gear, began early Wednesday morning under court orders, with many occupants having already vacated the premises.
- Badalona's Mayor, Xavier García Albiol, confirmed the eviction of what he termed "400 illegal squatters," citing the squat as a public safety hazard.
- Marta Llonch, a lawyer representing the squatters, highlighted that many residents, some with valid residency and work permits, were compelled to live there due to unaffordable housing and will now be homeless.
- The eviction underscores the challenges faced by migrants in Spain, a country that has experienced a steady influx of people crossing the Mediterranean or Atlantic.