Spain: Activists call for closure of detention centers
March 26, 2009
Andalucía Acoge, the immigrant support organization, has called for the closure of the immigrant internment centres across the region, which they say are in a dreadful condition.
It's estimated that there are 90,000 irregular immigrants in Andalucía, some 10% of the total in Spain and nationally there are only 1,100 places in such reception centres.
President of Andalucía Acoge, Ángel Madero, described the centres as 'dark prisions' which were overwhelmed, and said nobody really knew what was happening inside them. He said they infringed on the immigrants' rights, and should be closed immediately. He said the centres in Málaga and Algeciras were no more than converted industrial warehouses or old Guardia Civil jails.
Typically Spanish
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