They condemn conditions at a migrant centre in Madrid: “They are locked up like criminals”

he Camp General ArteagaLocated in Carabanchel, in the southern area of ​​the capital, it opened in November last year Arrival at the Spanish Immigrant Reception Centerreceiving complaints about residents’ conditions.”Not meeting residency requirements. The children are eating badly, they don’t go out, they don’t have freedom, they don’t have adequate medical resources, they don’t have adequate psychological resources,” he told people A facility staff member who did not want to reveal his identity continued: “They were locked up like criminals.“.

This reception center, Managed by the Red CrossIt is one of the measures taken by the government to alleviate the epidemic. Facilities in the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla are saturated. The employee explained that, at the moment, it is “the largest in Spain”. “The number of places has increased to 1,400”although initially the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Protection and Immigration set it at 1,220.

The facility is exclusively for men and provides temporary humanitarian assistance, starting withI estimate that the boys can only stay for three months.but the reality is not like that. The anonymous source said, “Most of them have been there since November, especially the minors.”

Allowed to leave the center every three days

The reception center has five buildings, “one for possible minors and the rest for adults,” the staff member said, summarizing it as “camp“Immigrants live there, and They leave for two hours every three days”, he added. During each shift of the day, morning or afternoon, people will leave a building. So if people in building “A” leave on Monday morning, they won’t leave until it repeats again on Wednesday afternoon.

“They are living normal lives, as they should be, not like criminals”

In their free time, residents “go to the shops to buy mobile phones, top up credit or buy headphones. They live normal lives, as they should, and not like criminals because They were locked up like criminals.. They are people who came here with a career, studied, received training…” the source explained.

On the other hand, according to some immigrants living in the center, each building has rooms with more or less beds. Some rooms can sleep five people, while others can sleep one. Between 15 and 20“The facilities were not the best because it was an abandoned military camp. For example, Many blinds were broken or would not open”, blaming the Red Cross workers. And, despite residents’ complaints, “the incident was never resolved,” he stressed.

Play football, nothing else

Issa Traore is one of them Thousands of immigrants live in this center And the only one who wants to tell his story. This 35-year-old man from Mali left his life, family and friends behind to seek a better life far away from his home country. He arrived in El Hierro (Canary Islands) From Mauritaniaa journey About 60 people shared a boat and stayed on it for six days.He said he had good conditions, but the activities were just “eating, sleeping, playing football and teaching Spanish, nothing else”, he explained. people.

The center’s staff asked to hold some workshops for the migrants, but the Red Cross refused.

Staff at the centre complained about the situation. “They are not given any training facilities. They only accept sports activities such as playing football, basketball or volleyball.” he lamented. Some time ago, the workers asked the center to organize some activities or workshops for the migrants, but in vain: “They told us that this is a center for emergencies and humanitarian care only, and only “basic” needs are met.

Employees at the center said that not only were there obstacles and obstructions from the Red Cross management, but the government also rejected all these types of requests:In theory, these requests were processed by the ministry, but they responded that they could not do so.” the worker said, adding that it was an issue that was “very frustrating for them.”

Stones in the macaroni

According to Red Cross eyewitnesses, residents were provided four meals a day, although of questionable quality: “That’s the saddest thing about the center. Day by day, the food changes a little bit.. It’s very disgusting.” In a recurring turn of events, recently Immigrants find stones in macaroni. “It has been commented a thousand times, photos and tests were sent to the coordinators, but they do nothing. They only reply that you have to be careful, you have to talk to the catering, but they have not changed. They don’t do it because it is cheaper,” he stressed.

Traore is more optimistic:Sometimes good, sometimes just so-so“Migrants also cannot bring food from outside in this situation because the Red Cross does not allow it,” said the young man from Mali.

Workload

The center can accommodate about 1,400 people and the Red Cross staff consists of social workers, social mediators, supervisors, coordinators, psychologists, nurses and doctors. Still,We are overloaded with workespecially doctors and psychologists,” the source added, because “Only one doctor per shift”. Likewise, he assured that the institution’s infirmary does not have the necessary means or resources to care for them, so visits to the hospital are usually frequent.

A staff member of the center: “The only thing we do is logistics and police functions”

The anonymous source said that the social mediators perform “police” functions. He insisted: “We should be carrying out social intervention with the children in order to integrate them into Spain, educate them, integrate them into Spain, and the only thing we do is logistical and police functions.” These tasks include Check all rooms in the center to ensure there is no food, medicine or extra items in the lockers.such as pillows, because each person can only have one pillow.

The staff at the center stressed that the living conditions were not good enough and questioned the services provided by the Red Cross:What kind of humanitarian aid is this? “NGOs are supposed to provide aid and humanitarian assistance to these children, but they are not doing so.”

Members of the public have attempted to contact the Red Cross to present its version of the reported events but have yet to receive a response.