During the Spanish transition to democracy, residential squatting occurred in Spanish cities such as Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza. Squatter’s rights vary state-by-state. 5 July 2018, Redaction Squatting and squatters are currently on everyone’s minds in Spain. While squatters’ communities can be found all over Europe—Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, England, Wales, the Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Switzerland and—perhaps most famously, Freetown Christianiana in Denmark—in Spain the okupa culture has found a strong foothold and has also been the source of deep controversy. “We do not extort or threaten. You can reach us via email or phone. In Spain, there are more than 87,500 families occupying homes illegally, about a quarter of a million people, according to the Instituto Cerdá. Violent entrepreneurs and the making of tourist capitalism", "La ocupación ilegal de viviendas crece un 58% en cinco años", "Okupas — the Spanish Squatter Movement. From the 1980s onwards a new generation of squatters set up self-managed social centres which hosted events and campaigns. Removal of Squatters. [4] Barcelona had the most reported squats, with 17,465 reported between 2013 and 2018. Normally it would not be expected that vacationers arrive at their holiday destination to find squatters in their holiday residence. dealing with Spain’s problem with squatters, Valencian Government In Talks With Hospitality About Reopening, Breaking News: Earthquake Off The Coast Of Japan, Man arrested on suspicion of supplying the firearm that killed Sergeant Matt Ratana. [6], Young people were attracted to the new 1980s squatting movement and began to set up self-managed social centres, known as CSOAs (Centros Sociales Okupados y Autogestinados), which hosted infoshops and co-operatives, organised events and provided meeting space for campaigns. From the 1980s onwards a new generation of squatters set up self-managed social centres which hosted events and campaigns. +34 951 38 61 61 sales@euroweeklynews.com. Spain is one of the richest countries in terms of culture. Here, we explain how you can evict the occupiers and what rights people have … A company called Desokupa ("De-Squat") became notorious for evicting squatters without a legal process, for example La Yaya social centre in Argüelles, Madrid. All rights reserved. Squatting in any residential building is against the law and does not fall into squatters rights and it can result in a £5,000 fine, 6 months in prison or in the worst case both. While robbers scare tourists, property owners, or those who want to buy cheap Spanish properties, are literally terrified by someone else – “Okupas”. With so many second homes or holiday homes left empty throughout the year, it makes these premises a prime target for those who want an easy living. Attach yourself to something that belongs to someone when they are not looking and either refuse to give it back or sell it back to them. The problem with squatters in Spain is that is an organised business, and the key to that business, in addition to leasing to third parties, lies in demanding a financial outlay from the legitimate owner in exchange for returning their home. A norwgian family just found out that their house in Spain had been occupied by strangers. His work begins with a preliminary investigation of the case that involves the review of the documents of the owner of the stolen property and also of the deeds. Euro Weekly News Media Group, Avenida Ramon y Cajal 54, Edificio River Playa, Local 2, 29640 Fuengirola, Malaga, Spain. [2]:119–121 The word okupa is derived from the Spanish verb "ocupar", meaning to occupy. The company handles about 30 calls a day and successfully solves, they say, between four and five cases a week. Squatting is when someone deliberately enters property without permission and lives there or intends to live there. They can ask for between 5,000 and 20,000 or 30,000 euros, depending on the type of house”, explains Rafael, director of Antiokupas Group, who are based in Marbella. News. The 1995 Criminal Code among other things criminalised squatting, but failed to stop it. In Francoist Spain migrant workers lived in slums on the periphery of cities. The Okupa movement has been gaining momentum ever since the realisation that people could occupy properties freely (and “ legally “). [17] On the outskirts of Vitoria-Gasteiz, the squatted neighbourhood of Errekaleor was occupied in 2013 and has around 150 inhabitants. Spain’s center-left government last week unveiled a controversial draft law that has incensed right-wing media pundits and political parties. [10] The social centres has their antecedents in libertarian ateneus, countercultural spaces which were founded in many cities from the late 1970s onwards. [2]:121 Influential projects in the 1980s included Bolsa de Bilbao, Gaztetxe de Gazteiz in Vitoria-Gasteiz and Euskal Jai in Pamplona. [19]:68, Occupation of unused land or derelict buildings in Spain, "Desokupa. News in Costa Blanca North – Alicante – Benidorm, News in Costa Blanca South – Torrevieja – Alicante. Despite the cost of renting being at relatively high level, the number of empty properties rocketed to 3.5 million out of a total of 35 million, again in 2011. In Francoist Spain migrant workers lived in slums on the periphery of cities. [1]:127–128 During the Spanish transition to democracy, residential squatting occurred in cities such as Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Valencia and Zaragoza. [14] La Ingobernable was evicted in 2020 during the state of alarm due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. If the squatters have already spent sufficient time in the property to be considered inhabitants, there will need to be a legal procedure to evict them. Between 2009 and 2017, it prevented 2045 evictions and rehoused over 2500 people by squatting properties owned by banks. Under any circumstances, this is an extremely difficult situation for the owner but, when the property in question is fifteen hundred miles away in Spain, the situation becomes even more challenging. Squatters must occupy property for a minimum of 10 years before making an adverse possession claim. Never buy a property in Spain. Eleven occupiers suspended themselves off the walls of the building for several days. The 1995 Criminal Codeamong othe… The company has come up against criticism and accusations of coercion. Specifically, in Andalusia the unemployment rate is around 28% with a rate of 57.8% for people under 25 years old. [5]:113 The influential Kasa de la Muntanya was occupied in 1989. Since the burst of Spain’s madcap housing bubble in 2009, squatting — the unlawful occupancy of uninhabited buildings or unused land — has become a major problem. Consumer rights; Using the GHIC, the new EHIC, in Spain ; Patients’ Charter; Death in Spain; CGT & Inheritance Tax; New law to deal with squatters comes into force today. Save my name and email in this browser for the next time I comment. It became even more popular after gaining headlines in 1984, when officers rallied into an empty building (in Barcelona) to evict the first ever known squatters in the history of spanish democracy. [11]:184 This situation led to the foundation of the Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca (PAH) (Platform for People Affected by Mortgages) in Barcelona in 2009. A “squatter” by law is an unlawful or unauthorized occupant of property who has entered … As frontman of a rock band Damon used to court the British press, now he lives the quiet life in Spain and seeks to get to the heart of the community, scoring exclusive interviews with ex-pats about their successes and struggles during their new life in the sun. Rights and de-registration; logout. Euro Weekly News is delighted to continue to be able to bring you a range of News that doesn’t cost you anything but your internet connection. Click here to write your own comments on this article [5]:95 A contemporary slum is Cañada Real, where an estimated 40,000 to 50,000 people live along a 15km track formerly used as a drovers' road, on the boundary shared by Madrid and Rivas Vaciamadrid. In many West European countries since the 1960s and 1970s, there are squatted houses used as residences and also larger squatted projects where people pursue social and cultural activities. SQUATTERS IN SPAIN Angry crowd forces squatters out of elderly lady’s home in Basque Country The family that had moved in to 94-year-old Victoria de Castro’s house ended up securing police protection in exchange for leaving the premises. [11]:189 The PAH uses the more conventional spelling of "ocupa" instead of "okupa" for a squat. Faced with the refusal of the tenants to leave the property, the company acts and deploys “an access control with two security guards on the property”, so that once the squatter leaves “he does not go back in and when he does the police will be called.”. SPAIN has a problem with squatters, they search out available or empty properties, force their doors, change the locks and even sell the key. Euro Weekly News, the people’s paper, we lead others follow! With their infrastructures, they control all the houses.”, indicates the boss, who assures that, sometimes, these properties are also used as narco-houses to home illegal drug businesses. Spanish Translation of “squatter” | The official Collins English-Spanish Dictionary online. Increasing news of squatters entering empty second homes across Spain is threatening to destabilise the already weakened demand for an extra property in the sun. [2]:119–121, In Madrid, a key project in the 1980s was Minuesa. News. HOUSING Express squatter eviction project divides politicians in Spain Two Catalan parties clash over reform that leftists see as benefiting banks and “vulture funds” Miquel Alberola. By 2019, following a 58% surge in cases in five years, close to 100,000 properties were occupied by okupas (squatters), according to estimates by the Insititut Cerdá. In the Basque Country they are known as gaztetxes [eu]. The workers, in the words of the director, have endured attempted injuries and threats with weapons, which has led them to defend themselves from the perpetrators. A. Could this be the answer to Spain’s problem with squatters? After this law was passed, illegal inhabitants could claim squatters’ rights to prevent forced entry or removal from the building. Some, in despair and just wishing the situation to be over, end up succumbing to the offers of these organised groups. Everything you need to know", "Huelga 8 de marzo: Un centro de 'okupas' feministas financiado por ediles de Carmena está detrás de la huelga del 8M", "Madrid's Renaissance of Occupied Spaces", "El Gobierno ejecuta el desalojo del nuevo edificio de La Ingobernable, vacío durante el estado de alarma", "Squat demolition called off after four nights of rioting in Barcelona", "The Basque Country And A Peace Process That Spain Is Ignoring", "El barrio 'okupa' de Errekaleor: "Nos han quitado la luz, pero tenemos más energía que nunca, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Squatting_in_Spain&oldid=999274088, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 9 January 2021, at 10:11. ACCORDING to most dictionaries, a squatter is deemed a “person who unlawfully occupies an uninhabited building or unused land, which he does not own, rent or otherwise occupy lawfully”. However, tourists must be extremely cautious: they may get robbed right in public transport or in the street. On: 2 July 2018. In the UK, “squatters’ rights” refer to the result of a law passed in 1977, which prevented landlords from using threat, force or violence as a means of eviction. [11]:181 The eviction of Kukutza in Bilbao was met with largescale protests in 2011. Madrid - 25 Apr 2018 - 11:20 UTC. Under the new bill, squatters will be served with an eviction notice and told to either justify ownership of the property through a title deed, or show the lack of one on behalf of the claimant. Also, some states provide a different period for adverse possessors who pay taxes on the property. Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews. Parts of the slum are notorious for drug-dealing. Below is a table of the required period of possession.
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