An elderly Spanish couple living in Madrid obtained entry into their home recently after a private company by the name of Desokupa intervened to facilitate the eviction of a Moroccan family that had been squatting there. The eviction was observed by a crowd of neighbors who showed up with signs in support of the owners.
The squatters had originally rented the flat, but stopped paying some five years ago. They were simultaneously receiving government aid. For its part, it seems the city council barely reacted to the situation.
The owners, Blanca and Miguel, who are both nearly octogenarians, had recently faced a downturn in their health, with Blanca developing cancer and Miguel suffering from Parkinsons.
It’s horrible, I don’t wish it on anyone and I haven’t done anything wrong. We don’t understand how this is happening to us. We are desperate.
With no support from the city council, the couple nonetheless garnered local support and media interest (from certain outlets, at least). Thanks to the mediation of the private-firm Desokupa, they have now regained access to their property.
The uptake in squatting in recent years comes down to a political drive to leave landlords with little legal recourse. According to one source, nearly 80% of landlords feel that they do not have enough protection from the law in case of illegal entry and occupation of their property.
Desokupa’s CEO, Daniel Esteve, has said that 7 out of 10 illegal occupations of property that his organization is called to facilitate are perpetrated by immigrants, which connects the issue of squatting to Spain’s irresponsible migration policy. In many cases, such as the above, these cases involve two victim groups: the owners who are deprived of their property, and the squatters who are sometimes facing severe difficulties.
