Squatting on the rise: 72% of those arrested are in Catalonia, most of them foreigners

The pro-occupation movement has spread the narrative that home occupations are a minority phenomenon affecting second homes and large landlords. The data that is emerging invites at least some reflection.

The latest data provided by the Department of the Interior revealed that last year in Catalonia, 23 occupations were reported per day. New data from the Ministry of the Interior revealed by The Objective confirm the seriousness of the situation. 72% of trespassing arrests in Spain occur in Catalonia.

Almost half of all occupations in the State occur in Catalonia, where two-thirds of the total arrests also take place. The data reflect two realities. That occupation is a growing phenomenon, and that Catalonia leads by far in occupations throughout the Spanish State.

54% of those arrested are foreigners

According to the Interior, last year 8,039 people were arrested in Catalonia for occupying compared to 847 in the second most affected community, Madrid. Attempts at occupation have increased by 15% throughout the State. The majority of those arrested, 58%, are foreigners.

This last data is significant because the proportion of foreigners among those arrested for occupation in Spain has multiplied by thirteen in the last seven years. In Catalonia, 54% of those arrested are foreigners, and of them, 47% are non-EU citizens.

The main problem remains the overly lenient and permissive laws that create a pull effect and invite repeat offenses. This is especially pronounced in Catalonia, where for years occupation has been whitewashed and cheered. This explains why Catalonia leads by such a distance in the number of trespasses throughout the State.

Platforms for the protection of property owners' rights warn of a pull effect abroad. Faced with the increase in occupations, mayors of Catalonia have joined forces to demand a change in legislation. 

The State's failure

The left continues to argue that occupation affects a minority and that the problem has been amplified by the far right. But cases like that of Barcelona reveal the failure of housing policies and the consequences of promoting occupation. 

Precisely the rise in occupations occurs from 2020 with the anti-eviction decree that institutionalized the concept of vulnerability. This has triggered the so-called "inquiocupaciones." This also leads to the debate on false registrations, as some municipalities are fraudulently registering.

The State's failure to defend property owners has boosted the business of eviction companies. Although these organizations are also associated with the far right, the reality is that occupation is a growing phenomenon and that beyond the left's narrative, there are fewer and fewer excuses for legislative reform.