Badalona evictions have prompted an emergency response from Catalonia’s government and major social organisations.

Following the forced clearance of approximately 400 people from a disused school building, a temporary night shelter has been established in the city to provide immediate refuge during adverse weather conditions.

The shelter, operating from 8pm to 8am, is supported by the Flore day centre.

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Consequently, a coalition including Càritas, the Red Cross, Sant Joan de Déu Serveis Socials, and the Fundació Llegat Roca i Pi are collaborating on the ground. This intervention comes after Catalan police, acting on a judicial order, cleared the former B9 institute in Badalona last Wednesday.

Coordinated Response to Badalona Evictions Crisis

The majority of those displaced are sub-Saharan immigrants, many of whom sought shelter under a motorway bridge after the clearance. Therefore, the Catalan government’s Department of Social Rights and Inclusion described the measure as a critical emergency device. Meanwhile, the local Badalona council, led by Mayor Xavier García Albiol, has repeatedly declined to open a municipal shelter.

Furthermore, the regional government has offered technical support to the council to establish such a facility. “We cannot act on municipal infrastructure. We need the council to instigate it,” stated government spokesperson Sílvia Paneque. Accordingly, the agreement with social entities became necessary to provide immediate nighttime accommodation in a local church-owned premises.

Additional initiatives have emerged, with spaces offered by the CUP political party and the CCOO trade union. Moreover, social services have been holding weekly meetings since September to find solutions for vulnerable individuals. The situation highlights broader challenges in social policy investment and housing access.

The government’s statement emphasised that homelessness requires structural, coordinated solutions beyond emergency management. This incident, described as the largest eviction remembered in Catalonia, underscores persistent urban integration issues. The response to these Badalona evictions will likely influence future policy discussions on migrant housing and social care.

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