PODCAST: NIE and TIE appointment chaos

In this episode, we explore a long-standing problem faced by many immigrants in Spain: the near-impossible task of trying to secure appointments for their NIE (foreign identity number) or TIE (foreign identity card).

Press play below to listen, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts, YouTube or Spotify. 

  

Cybersecurity expert René Serral from UPC breaks down what is happening behind the scenes of the 'cita previa' appointment system – and what could be done to fix it.

Law professor Natalia Caicedo examines whether the Spanish government is meeting its legal obligations toward newcomers.

Honduran-born activist Carmen Juares describes how migrants are "treated as second-class citizens," calling the process of regularising legal status "a continuous obstacle course."

We also hear directly from Catalan News readers, many of whom got in touch to share their own experiences navigating the system.

With Lorcan Doherty and Oriol Escudé.

Since this episode was recorded, authorities have announced a pilot programme in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat to automatically assign TIE appointments.

Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

Listen to more episodes of Filling the Sink below or find out more here.