Costa del Sol council calls on central government in Madrid to find 'less stressed areas' for migrants

Councillors in Torrox on the eastern Costa del Sol have called on Spain's central government to prioritise "less stressed areas" to accommodate migrants.

The ruling centre-right Partido Popular (PP) group at Torrox town hall approved a motion during a council meeting on Monday 29 September requesting the government to "reorient the reception policy, ensuring a balanced territorial distribution and avoiding concentration in tourist municipalities such as Torrox".

The reception of migrants at the Urban Beach hotel El Morche (Torrox) began in October 2023 and since then the town hall has made the headlines over its criticism of the socialist PSOE government's policy on accommodating migrants in hotels in tourist areas.

In September mayor of Torrox Óscar Medina once again criticised this decision by Pedro Sánchez's central government, saying that "the only downside to the summer is the government's decision to have a migrant centre in a four-star hotel".

During Monday's meeting, right-wing Vox spokesperson Fernando Jiménez justified his vote against on the grounds that his party is opposed to "irregular migration". He told SUR, "These people must be returned to their countries of origin, order must be restored."

Jiménez went on to say, "It is intolerable that the PP should come to this meeting to ask that illegal immigrants be distributed throughout Spain as if they were merchandise. What we need to do is expel those who have entered our country illegally, strengthen our borders and put an end to the pull factor." He added, "The problem is not deciding whether illegal immigrants should go to Torrox or Soria. The problem is that they are entering Spain unchecked, encouraged by policies that only benefit the mafias."

Regarding the local situation, Jiménez argued that "the Urban Beach hotel in El Morche, a four-star hotel that was supposed to be a tourist attraction, has been transformed into a reception centre for illegal immigrants, with a devastating impact on the economy of our municipality".

He also warned that transferring this policy to rural areas will not solve the problem of depopulation because "depopulated Spain will not recover with multicultural ghettos and social tensions, but with opportunities, services and infrastructure that allow families to live and prosper in their villages".

The proposal also calls for "tax, social and employment incentives for those who settle in less densely populated municipalities," as well as "plans for the renovation and reuse of closed buildings and hotels".