"They treat us like dogs": Criticism for kicking out hundreds of homeless people from the airport

BarcelonaThe scene is sad. "They have to leave, the airport is closed today," explains the Aena security guard in a calm voice and without any imperative tone. "It's unfair, and now what do we do?" José replies indignantly. Sitting in the chair next to him, Ángel, over 50 years old and disabled, says that he will get on a bus and make round trips to Barcelona until the sun comes up. That way he will at least have a reasonably warm place to sleep. Dominico, 78 years old, resigns himself to accepting that he will sleep on the street while he takes a packet of Enalapril, a medicine for heart failure, out of the trolley. "It's inhumane, they throw us out like dogs," shouts Pedro, 64 years old, angrily. The scene takes place in Terminal 1 of El Prat airport a few minutes after one in the morning. "It hurts me, they are older, educated people," admits one of the security guards. It is the first day of a pilot test to relocate the dozens of homeless people living in the facility. However, no homeless people were relocated: they ended up on the street.

As explained by the ARA on Tuesday, Aena has been working for months on a plan to address the problem of homelessness at the airport. According to sources in the know, it is estimated that around 160 people regularly sleep between the two terminals, and they say that some of them create insecurity. Finally, a pilot test has been agreed upon, which began on Tuesday, and which will continue (and, a priori, end) on Wednesday night. Under the supervision of the Mossos d'Esquadra, from 11.30 p.m. to 4 a.m., El Prat has restricted access so that only people who have to take a flight can enter. Then, with the argument that the space needed to be cleaned, the security guards urged the homeless people, who are concentrated in the lower part of the arrivals area, many of them sleeping, to leave the space. A second later, cleaning machinery entered. This procedure was carried out without incident and no homeless person refused to leave (police sources say they would not have been forcibly removed if this had happened). Afterwards, they were unable to re-enter. There were around a hundred people in this situation between the two terminals. According to police sources, the Mossos have been warning them in recent days, so there were fewer than usual today.

At that moment, a painful procession of helpless people, carrying everything they owned, has begun to leave through the door. And stay at the door. "I don't know where to go now, I'll sleep here," says Jair, who is only 23 years old. He gives everyone he sees a card with his phone number. He is looking for work as a caregiver for the elderly, which he says he loves because it reminds him of times spent with his grandparents. The elderly he now cares for are his roommates. "I just need to have papers, then everything will go smoothly," repeats Jair, who arrived three years ago from Peru, where his five siblings still live.

The image is one of contrasts. Youth and old age among people who find themselves in a situation of extreme vulnerability. Ismail, of Georgian origin, is 67 years old. He insistently shows a piece of paper: it is a complaint for theft. Recently he almost lost everything of value, including his passport. Moha, of Moroccan origin, is 32 years old. He insistently shows his TikTok: his dream is to meet the Barça players and he is sleeping on the streets to achieve it. He wanted to walk from Malaga, where he lived, to Barcelona. He says he held out until Murcia. This Tuesday he managed to sneak into the Olympic Stadium to watch Barça-Atlètic. He was a little closer to his dream, but when he arrived at the airport he saw that he had nowhere to sleep.

At the end of this procession there were several social services workers, not even five, from the city councils of Barcelona and El Prat de Llobregat. Municipal sources insist that the pilot plan on Tuesday was promoted by Aena, being conceived from a point of view more of unhealthiness than of social response. The Ministry of Social Rights also points out that they were aware of the operation and that they have followed it closely, but that the responsibilities fall to the municipalities. These social workers have approached some of the homeless, such as Dominico or Ismail, especially those cases that seemed more critical. Some of them have been given an appointment for this Thursday. Sources in the know affirm that no homeless person has been relocated. Many complained that they had not been given any way out, not even a place to sleep on this cold February night. Aena president Mauricio Lucena said on Wednesday morning that the airport is not prepared "to structurally offer overnight accommodation solutions for anyone", and that this is the responsibility of social services.

This indignation has given way to some tense moments, with some homeless people reproaching Aena workers for their decision. Pedro, 64 years old and diabetic, was very indignant. He tells his story quickly, he doesn't want to dwell on it: he lost his job, couldn't pay for his flat and ended up on the street, without a family. He has been sleeping in the airport for seven years. "Today and tomorrow I don't know what I'll do," he admits. He knows practically everyone, and he laments when he sees Dominico, with a crutch, trying to get back into the airport. With the same rotation, the revolving door that pushes him in expels him after a brief dialogue with airport security.

Police sources say that some of these homeless people are causing security problems at the terminal. There have been problems with theft, as well as aggression and incivility. Some of them are alcoholics or drug addicts. In fact, Jair regrets that the attitude of a few now leaves them all on the streets. Some sources also link this pilot test with the celebration of the Mobile World Congress, which begins this week, and point out that limiting access to the airport also seeks to prevent thieves from entering during the night. Lucena has disassociated the operation from Mobile. However, this Wednesday, foreseeably, the sad scene will be repeated.

Criticism of the entities

Social organisations have responded with harsh criticism of the operation. In a statement, they denounce the fact that no "social support device with an alternative of overnight stay" has been planned. "We appeal to the responsibility of all public administrations because they all have the obligation to guarantee human rights," they say. They also regret that they have learned of this device through the media and that expressions such as "cleanliness" are used to refer to these people, since it contributes to stigmatisation. In turn, CCOO demanded "dignified" care and an alternative housing for these people.

The director of the Arrels Foundation, Beatriz Fernández, has also described the operation in El Prat as disproportionate. "That the alternative for these people is to throw them out of the terminal, without an alternative housing, without an accommodation space, is something we do not agree with," she said. For her part, the general director of Assisi, Lara Bogni, has pointed out the "lack of coordination between local entities and the Generalitat" that "always ends up making people who are in a vulnerable situation suffer." Fernández and Bogni have spoken from Parliament, from where a bill for urgent and temporary measures to deal with homelessness and eradicate it has been registered. The initiative was already presented last term, but it did not arrive in time to be approved. The text proposes that homeless people can register in the municipality where they live and, from here, they can request a space to reside and be cared for in this population. The proposal has been registered by the groups of the PSC, Junts, ERC, PP, Comuns and CUP.