Police close Barcelona migrant detention center due to coronavirus border closures

Center empty after authorities were unable to repatriate detainees

Barcelona's migrant detention center
Barcelona's migrant detention center / ACN

ACN | Barcelona

March 19, 2020 09:47 PM

Police have released all detainees that were being held in Barcelona’s migrant detention center (CIE) as they were unable to return to their countries of origin due to flight and border restrictions and uncertainty over the duration of the state of alarm.

The detention center is currently empty because it is more than likely that authorities would not be able to repatriate detainees within the required period of 60 days.

More than twenty migrants have been released since the beginning of the week, and the last three were released on Thursday.