Xisco Ducrós of PSOE argues that the PP are not addressing the housing problem. "They are sanctioning those people who cannot afford to rent or buy a home and have to live in a motorhome."
Following the mayor's presentation of the updated ordinance on Wednesday, Truyol observed that even people with incomes are choosing to live in motorhomes and caravans due to the situation with the housing market. The ordinance "criminalises" them. She added that some of the text is "very generic" and that the police will have to deal with the interpretation.
In those parts of Palma that have become small settlements for motorhomes, the announcement went down badly. By the Son Hugo swimming pools there are some fifty motorhomes, caravans and vans. "If they don't let us stay here, where are we going to go? Is the mayor going to let us have a room in his house?" asked Begoña.
"We're not here by choice, although we do feel protected. We've become like a family. We all know each other and we help each other. We don't bother anyone. We're going to have to take action. Where are we going to go, Mr Mayor? We'll see you on the streets."
Ezequiel also spoke about taking action. "Like blocking the Avenidas or turning up at a council plenary session so that they have to listen to us. The mayor is not going to come here. If we can't sleep in caravans, they'll have to give us an alternative. Otherwise, where will we go?"
He accepts that "we have everything to lose", but like some others at Son Hugo Ezequiel wonders if anything will come of the ordinance in the end. A Podemos councillor, Lucía Muñoz, pointed out on Wednesday that the ordinance is "a carbon copy" of one that a previous PP mayor, Mateu Isern, once sought to introduce. That was overturned by the courts.
Miguel, who is a general handyman for other dwellers at Son Hugo, shares Ezequiel's view. "I don't think they will get it through. But whatever, we only ask that they respect us. The mayor should come and sleep here for a week."
22 comments
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Ulla JacksonYou just have.
ChrisSome needs to drag this at every opportunity, unfortunately.
ChrisMy point wasn’t about immigration per se. It was about new arrivals being treated better than long term natives. Anyone born in a country should have their needs covered before someone who has just arrived. Struggling, homeless natives should be offered hotel rooms before anyone else, here, in the UK, in the USA or anywhere else. If I continued quoting more facts I would no doubt be accused of being a ray cist.
To Les Chase and others I say no thank you. We are not continental Europe, we do not need motorhome tourism on our overcrowded road network . Thats one thing the hoteliers got right when they influenced the " no caravan parks" debate years ago. Can you imagine the Serra from Andratx to Pollensa, those roads with cars pulling caravans plus motorhomes. However I do believe there is a real accommodation problem and motorhomes provide a small but workable solution. The city must provide land with services at a modest breakeven rental so these vehicles can be justifiably moved on from anywhere "illegal" they choose to occupy. @TD We agree on the city providing suitable locations . As for your use of dogs, or no doubt other pets, as prejudicial beggars believe. The first thing I would do in that situation is get a companion from the shelter. Its why so many homeless on the streets have dogs, they help protect your sanity. This Mayor is way out of touch, someone needs to educate him pronto.
@Karl, are you being serious? They pay no property, council or rubbish taxes. They don't work so pay no income tax, therefore they don't contribute to society, they don't pay for schools, hospitals, roads, unemployment benefits etc. but they sure will use those things. If everybody acted as irresponsibly as these people society would regress 1000 years. Selfish.
ChrisBrainwashed by the UK's non dom owned rightwing press, championed by the Daily Mail, but the Express is actually worse. 'Brown people taking your jobs / house / car / etc'
RickGo to the car park at the Hugo swimming pools, as mentioned in this article - there you'll find a lot of vehicles parked overnight.
Richard PearsonWhy, oh why do some people bring immigration into every single debate and conversation. This is totally irrelevant to this article about people sleeping in motorhomes in Palma.
Long live freedom! Leave theese people alone. They are all total freedom seekers, true libertarians, who should be exempt from taxes for being such free sprits. The wave the gadsdens flag for freedom along the beaches of this corrupt land and municipal pools, blocking all these nice views of rich people and rightly so. we all deserve a steak dinner every now and then, but not at the expense of the cows.
TDYes I have been a tourist to Mallorca now for 35 years, and visited up to COVID every year. I have recently sold an apartment my late wife and I purchased when she was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away 9 1/2 years ago. I also had a car on the island just after purchasing my apartment 11 years ago, and covered quite a bit of the island. I can not recall seeing many, if not any campsites marked on the island on my travels. Since my late wife passed away, I struggled to get to Mallorca at times, but kept coming to the island to visit friends on the island. When my late wife was in her last months, we would visit the island virtually once a month for short breaks. I kept this up to just 9 days before UK lockdown COVID, when I purchased a small dog, and I brought her over 3 times. Twice flying from Brussels as dogs are not allowed to fly from UK 2 years later, and this year just before I sold my apartment. I drove with my dog to the island. As I was not getting the use from my apartment since COVID, was the reason to sell and buy a new motorhome recently. Yes I would love to bring it to the island and the ferry fare return is around currently £400.00 return to France.