Tom Ewart Smith
LATEST figures show that nearly a quarter of Malaga’s homeless population are sleeping in the city’s airport, with claims emerging that many of them are foreigners and they refuse free flights home.
Around 220 people sleep rough across Malaga city every night, with as many as 50 regularly staying in the airport, according to data from the City Council.
Despite offers of free flights home, many refuse to leave, social workers say, with the council now working to manage the crisis with the outreach service, Puerta Unica.
Working alongside the Department of Social Rights, Puerta Unica visits the airport twice weekly, offering clothing, meals, laundry services and accommodation to those who will accept help.
Many, however, turn it down.
“They are identified and monitored, by name and surname, including their specific needs and issues,” insists Government Subdelegate Javier Salas.
He claims that only around 30 homeless people use the airport at any given time, and has dismissed the idea that it presents a security or health risk.
But this is hotly disputed by staff and unions, who claim up to 70 people now sleep in the terminal each night, often using public toilets as beds and leaving belongings scattered throughout public areas.
CCOO, one of Spain’s largest unions, has warned of a ‘serious situation’ at the airport, where cleaning and restaurant staff, shop workers and security personnel have all reported ‘unsanitary conditions, bad smells, occasional aggression and a lack of response from authorities.’
Many of the homeless population are foreign nationals, or Spaniards from other regions, who have migrated to the Costa del Sol for work or warmth.
The City Council says it routinely contacts consulates and offers to cover the cost of returning them to their home countries or cities – but only if they have family or a support network in place.
Pressure is now growing on the Spanish government to act.
“This deplorable situation of tension and conflict affects the image of Malaga and the Costa del Sol, since it’s the first thing tourists see when they arrive,” warned Vox MP Patricia Rueda recently.
“We don’t want Malaga to replicate the T4 model in Madrid, with bedbugs, prostitution, violence, and unsanitary conditions,” she added.
