Another 59 illegal immigrants were turned loose after 72 hours of being held in Motril Port, again, because of a lack of space in internment centres.
A similar situation occurred on the 5th of October when 97 illegal immigrants were driven to the bus station and sent on their way.
What is happening is that the immigrants are arriving faster than they can be processed and sent back. The existing Centros de Internamiento de Extranjeros (CIE) throughout Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands, simply don’t have enough space.
There are three associations that have helped out these ‘surplus’ immigrants with their travel arrangements and found temporary Red Cross accommodation for nine of them in Madrid.
The Chairman of the Granada branch of Cruz Roja, Francisco Escribano, explained that they also help out with bus tickets.
Under Spanish legislation illegal immigrants can be held for no more than 72 hours in holding centres (CETI) at the point of arrival without being forwarded to better-equipped CIE‘s. If there is no room in the CIE‘s then they must be freed after being given a certificate that states that they are here illegally and must abandon the country.
(News: Motril, Costa Tropical, Granada, Andalucia)