November 01, 2016

When your crime is being an immigrant

editor:	Maria João Morais

They have committed no crime. But they have been treated like criminals.Their only fault was embarking on often perilous journeys from their home countries and arriving in Spain without documents. Manyrisked their lives travelling through Africa and crossing the Mediterranean on rudimentarydinghies.

Recently, a peacefulmutiny brought the attentionto the controversial migrant detention Centre (CIE), in Aluche, Madrid. 40migrants, the majority of them from Algeria, climbed to the rooftop of the building demanding“freedom” and “dignity” and spent the night there protesting against the centre’spoor conditions.

After the mutiny, detainees also complained of physical and verbal abuseinflicted by the police, which motivated judges to order theinstallation of surveillance cameras inside the building.Previously, other centres throughout the country had been criticised for irregularities. In Spain the legal status regulating these detention centreshas become a blurred grey area, since they are not officially prisons but in fact operate as such.

Consequently, several NGOsand civic associations have called for the closure of the CIE, including Madrid’s mayor,former judge Manuela Carmena, who labelled it a “failed institution” since it has not met its target of deporting irregular migrants within a two-month period. Madrid City Council further describes thisissue as “unjust and immoral”.

The maintenance of these institutions is an embarrassment to Spain and its citizens.Depriving someone’s liberty for arriving in a country without necessary documentation at random should never be seen as an acceptable measure.