Government and NGOs agree to rehouse most migrants evicted in Badalona

The Catalan government and NGOs reached an agreement on Tuesday evening to rehouse most of the migrants evicted from Badalona's former B9 high school.

The group was evicted last Wednesday and has since been living on the streets, with a makeshift campsite set up under a highway bridge serving as their main shelter.

As government sources confirmed to the Catalan News Agency (ACN), around 140 people currently living in the campsite will now be rehoused.

Some 52 people have already been relocated to different facilities provided by NGOs, while between 60 and 80 additional places will be made available in other spaces and public facilities.

The rehousing process will take place over the coming hours and is expected to provide shelter for at least two months.

The effort involves municipal services, government social services, and several NGOs, including Càritas, Sant Joan de Déu Social Services, the Llegat Roca i Pi Foundation, and the Archdiocese of Barcelona.

Public prosecutor demands explanations

The public prosecutor has requested that the judge who authorized the eviction of Badalona's former B9 high school ask the city council to "urgently" clarify how it is complying with the law.

The eviction court order requires municipal services to provide "adequate attention to people without shelter."

The request comes amid controversy in the town over how to handle the evicted migrants. Mayor Xavier García Albiol has repeatedly stated that he does not want them in the city.

The Spanish government, for its part, has accused Albiol of engaging in "racism, xenophobia, and dehumanization."

"The conservative People's Party is not only making agreements with the far-right, it is implementing their policies, spreading their messages, and personally taking responsibility for their migration policies," said spokesperson Elma Saiz.