Barcelona demolishes part of the Zona Franca settlement due to a rat infestation

BarcelonaOn Monday afternoon, knowing what was going to happen the next morning, several people were packing up their tents and setting them up a few meters away. And the predictions came true: on Tuesday, a team from the Barcelona City Council, in collaboration with the Zona Franca Consortium, dismantled part of the encampment located on street number 2 in this industrial area of ​​the city, next to the port. It's a large encampment, where some 175 people live in squalor, taking advantage of a section of garden that runs along one of the streets of the industrial park.

According to sources at the City Hall and the Free Trade Zone Consortium, this decision was made after detecting a significant rat infestation in the area, which poses a risk to the health of residents and nearby businesses. Therefore, a public health operation will be deployed to spray the area with various chemicals. Authorities clarify that only a portion of the settlement—the longest-occupied section—is being removed and that this does not affect all residents. They assure that those affected by the operation who need to relocate can move a few meters away, to the area not currently undergoing pest control. The operation will be carried out in phases, beginning with this specific section of the settlement.

Municipal sources specify that they have been working with social services in this settlement for years, since 2023. Between 135 and 150 of the 175 residents have ties to social services. They also note that 50% of the residents have been in Barcelona for less than a year. The same sources insist that this action is not evicting anyone, and that after a reasonable time for the chemicals to take effect, they will be able to return. However, they also reiterate that moments like today are an opportunity to talk with the residents and find them alternative housing and social options.

Intensification of social work

Since January, this social work has intensified with the help of the Red Cross. They have also carried out several health checks on the residents, as well as treated some cases of the flu. For example, the Homelessness Guidance and Social Support Service is working with about fifteen people to refer them to soup kitchens and first-response centers. The Public Space Homelessness Social Support Service has about twenty people connected with it, ten of whom have a work plan to test their integration into the workforce. The City Council and the Consortium insist that they will clean part of the encampment, but that the action is not intended to evict them. The residents were notified several days in advance.

The operation is being carried out by the Barcelona City Police in collaboration with the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan Police). Staff from the Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgent Care Center (CUESB) are also present in case they discover any previously undetected situations of vulnerability. Furthermore, municipal sources admit that they will not be offering immediate alternative housing. Once the operation is complete, the area will be cordoned off and signage will be posted to warn of the presence of chemical products.