Detention centre break out leads to migrants on the run

EIGHT Algerians remain on the run after escaping from a detention centre in Murcia, with a ninth arrested as he was travelling on a train to Alicante.

National Police officers, part of the Mobile Brigade which patrol transportation such as railways and ferries, identified the escapee. 

He was arrested as the search continued for the other eight people who escaped the CIE centre in Sangonera, Murcia, following a riot in which nine police officers were injured.

Altogether in Spain there are seven of these centres, which have been set up to house illegal immigrants until officials decide what to do with them. Unfortunately some of the centres are being plagued by allegations of deteriorating conditions. Break outs and riots are becoming increasingly widespread while critics claim conditions are prison-like and that the human rights of the migrants are being violated.  

A regional spokesperson in Murcia has reported that in the most recent incident, the migrants started a fire to create a diversion and then pounced on police officers who went to put it out. Overall, nine officers were lightly injured in the brawl.

There were two other major breakouts from the same centre in October. Between the two incidents, more than 70 migrants escaped. Similar protests have begun to take place in the centres in Madrid and Barcelona as they become over-full and ill-equipped to deal with the huge swell of migrants. In an incident in Madrid on October 18, scores of migrants managed to get onto the building’s roof before unfurling a banner with the word ‘freedom’ written across it. 

Representatives from Podemos have argued that the centres should be shut down completely. Following the latest incident, a spokesperson for police union SUP called for the Murcia centre to be closed.

Critics allege the detention centres are dirty, dilapidated, and understaffed, with some arguing that this is due to budget cuts under Mariano Rajoy’s PP government. 

Spain is not the only country to come under fire for the state of its detention centres. Italian police have recently had to deal with accusations from Amnesty International that migrants in the centres are being consistently mistreated.