Shantytowns Move to the Centre of Alicante

From the outskirts to the city centre. The interventions carried out by the Alicante Local Police to evict the homeless settlements have not solved the problem; rather, they have shifted it to other areas. From neighbourhoods like PAU 1, La Torreta, or Juan Pablo II, the makeshift homes have appeared in green areas and natural spaces in the more traditional urban parts.

The slopes of Benacantil are a case in point, where the issue is not new. Conchi Galea, president of the Raval Roig neighbourhood association, explained to TodoAlicante that last year they already reported the presence of settlements in several areas of the hill. "It is common to see homeless people in the area near Doña Violante Street or in the Virgen del Socorro park. We understand that this is not where they should be, and they create a sense of insecurity because some have behavioural problems or are aggressive," stated the neighbourhood leader.

Settlements have also appeared in other areas, such as Postiguet Beach, where for weeks several people have set up their camp with umbrellas in one of the areas difficult to see from the promenade, next to the new breakwater. This Wednesday, they were evicted.

However, for the residents of PAU 2, the removal of the settlements has not been effective either. "It was a cosmetic action; the next day everything was the same," criticises the association's president, Miguel Ángel Gracia. The neighbourhood leader acknowledges that sporadic actions do not address the situation of homeless people on the streets of Alicante.

On September 17, a coordinated action between various municipal departments and the Local Police began the removal of tents and abandoned belongings, "not without first asking their occupants to voluntarily remove them," municipal sources indicated at the time.

The first actions began around the Juan Pablo II neighbourhood, as it was one of the areas where most complaints had been registered, although they will continue in other identified points, mainly in the neighbourhoods of La Torreta (PAU 2) and Rabasa.

In all cases, the agents acted following the same procedure of prior notice and monitoring until voluntary abandonment of the settlement was achieved, along with the removal of tents and personal belongings. Social Services provided attention to these people, and ultimately, the cleaning services were responsible for removing the abandoned belongings and debris.

According to the official figures from the Security Department, 1,177 interventions with homeless people have been carried out in Alicante, of which 959 have taken place in the last six months. This means an average of five per day, according to its head, Julio Calero.

The Alicante Local Police have two officers assigned to Social Services. This patrol conducts three sweeps a week to "detect new settlements" and "monitor open cases." In recent weeks, a special security device has dismantled the settlements created in La Torreta and Juan Pablo II, among others.