16 Oct, 2024 @ 14:20
1 min read

Plans to turn Spanish airport into an emergency migrant arrival centre slammed as a ‘concentration camp’

SPAIN is weighing the possibility of converting an airport south of Madrid into an emergency migrant reception centre.

Ciudad Real Airport, located in Castilla-La Mancha roughly 200 kilometres south of Madrid, was initially developed as an alternative to Madrid-Barajas Airport but went bankrupt in 2012 due to low passenger traffic. 

Despite its strategic location and modern facilities—including a 24,000-square-metre terminal and one of Europe’s longest runways at 4,000 metres—the airport has struggled to attract consistent commercial flights.

Instead, its new use has been proposed as European Union leaders debate migration strategies at a summit in Brussels. 

READ MORE: Half a million illegal migrants to be granted residency in Spain

Ciudad Real Airport, a 24,000-square-metre terminal and one of Europe’s longest runways at 4,000 metres

The move comes as part of broader discussions about managing irregular arrivals across Europe.

The Spanish government is evaluating multiple sites, with Ciudad Real among the candidates for a temporary shelter for migrants. 

However, the proposal has sparked opposition. 

Francisco Cañizar, the mayor of Ciudad Real, expressed strong disapproval, describing it as tantamount to a ‘concentration camp’ and arguing that it would lack the necessary humanitarian standards for those arriving. 

READ MORE: At least nine killed and 48 missing after migrant boat capsizes off the coast of Spain’s Canary Islands

The regions in Spain which take in the highest number of boat migrants
Migrants arriving in Spain. Cordon Press image

Emiliano García-Page, president of Castilla-La Mancha, the region where the airport is situated, said he was unaware of the government’s plans.

The debate coincides with increasing pressure on Spain’s borders, particularly in the Canary Islands, which has received nearly 70% of the 43,000 migrants who arrived in the country over the past year. 

The EU summit is expected to be contentious, with some member states, including Poland and the Netherlands, advocating stricter migration policies.

With the spotlight on migration policy at the EU level, the outcome of these debates may shape the future of Spain’s involvement in managing Europe’s migrant crisis.

Walter Finch

Walter Finch, who comes from a background in video and photography, is keen on reporting on and investigating organised crime, corruption and abuse of power. He is fascinated by the nexus between politics, business and law-breaking, as well as other wider trends that affect society.
Born in London but having lived in six countries, he is well-travelled and worldly. He studied Philosophy at the University of Birmingham and earned his diploma in journalism from London's renowned News Associates during the Covid era.
He got his first break in the business working on the Foreign News desk of the Daily Mail's online arm, where he also helped out on the video desk.
He then decided to escape the confines of London and returned to Spain in 2022, having previously lived in Barcelona for many years.
He took up up a reporter role with the Olive Press Newspaper and today he is based in La Linea de la Concepcion at the heart of a global chokepoint and crucial maritime hub, where he edits the Olive Press Gibraltar edition.
He is also the deputy news editor across all editions of the newspaper.

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