Lleida will have to register squatters without consulting the owner after an ERC appeal

The census has become one of the main topics of this legislative term in Catalonia. Conservative parties, from Aliança Catalana to Junts, including PP and Vox, are demanding stricter controls when registering residents. Left-wing parties have committed to promoting a universal census, to require municipalities to register residents indiscriminately.

The debate has moved to municipalities such as Lleida, where PSC and ERC have clashed over this issue. The socialist government approved in 2023 the obligation to inform the property owner when someone registered at their residence without a property or rental contract. ERC filed an appeal that the judge has ultimately upheld, which annuls this measure intended to deter squatting.

Required to register without a contract

As El Segre has reported, the ruling requires Lleida's city council to register squatters without consulting the property owner. In fact, this is something that happens in most municipalities in Catalonia. This is precisely one of the reasons why they are calling for stricter census controls.

For the left, the census is a right that allows access to basic services and therefore municipalities have the duty to guarantee it. They warn that failing to do so contradicts the regulations. This means that, according to these parties, anyone who requests it must be registered even if they do not meet the requirements—in other words, fraudulently.

However, many mayors warn of the consequences of a universal census for security and public services. Stricter census control prevents squatting and ensures better monitoring of the population living in a municipality. In addition, it prevents the collapse of public services that are on the verge of saturation. 

PSC supports universal census in Parliament

ERC is one of the most vehement parties in defending indiscriminate registration. The Lleida ruling supports their position by stating that "census registration is a right," and therefore, an obligation of the Paeria. 

The judge refers to the report from the Ombudsman of January 2024, according to which "the census doesn't imply recognition of ownership of the residence." The ruling states that this measure doesn't undermine the possible defense of the owner against potential squatters. For the judiciary, these are two separate matters, and in any case, the owner doesn't have the right to participate in a procedure that they have not initiated.

The municipal government has stated that they will analyze the ruling to decide whether to file an appeal. Paeria officials recall that the census has all the necessary guarantees, although they reaffirm the need for stricter controls when someone doesn't provide the required documentation. 

ERC, meanwhile, has welcomed the ruling, recalling that the census is "an obligation" that provides access to free education and healthcare. It should be noted that PSC signed the National Census Pact together with ERC, Comuns, and CUP in Parliament last June.