The eviction, considered one of the largest collective displacements in Spain, affected more than 400 migrants who had lived in the building for two years. Although only half were present during the execution, the majority are now without housing alternatives. The Badalona City Council (https://www.badalona.cat) has intensified surveillance to prevent the displaced individuals from settling in other warehouses or premises within the municipality.
“"I don't know where I'm going to sleep tonight. The vast majority of people here are workers, and all we want is to live with a little dignity."
The feeling of helplessness is absolute among the residents. Idriss, 40, originally from Guinea, for example, has a work permit and is a logistics operator at Danone, but claims he cannot find an apartment due to racial discrimination, despite being able to afford the rent. Furthermore, some of the evicted individuals had survived the Gorg warehouse fire in December 2020, which resulted in five fatalities, increasing their distrust of the administration.
The Mayor of Badalona, Xavier Garcia Albiol (PP), confirmed that the municipality only provided temporary accommodation for "16 or 17 people," and social services registered 50 others. Albiol stressed that there is no solution for the rest, insisting on linking the B9 migrants with delinquency and incivility.
The situation also complicates administrative procedures. Adam Zar, 25, who has an appointment with Extranjería (Immigration Office) to regularize his papers (https://sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/icpplus), now lacks a stable address. Another critical case is that of Ebrima Naso, a diabetic who relies on treatment requiring constant refrigeration. After the eviction, he had to leave his medication bag at a nearby bar for ten euros.
