Doctors of the World warns that the people evicted from the old Palma prison have dispersed across the beach, Bellver forest, and the Gesa area, without a real housing alternative. The NGO criticises that the City Council only offered a piece of paper for two nights in a fire station.
The NGO Doctors of the World has reported this Wednesday that the eviction of the old Palma prison has not solved the problem of homelessness but has made it invisible. According to the organisation, most of the occupants have moved to areas such as the beach, Bellver forest, or the surroundings of the Gesa building.
A piece of paper as the only alternative
In a statement, Doctors of the World has harshly criticised the management of the Palma City Council. The only help received by the evicted individuals was "a piece of paper" offering the possibility of sleeping for two nights in the fire station, according to the NGO.
"Reality has imposed itself," states the organisation, which claims that "many of the people who were in the old prison have only changed their location."
The entity emphasises that only a "small number" of those affected are trying to access public first reception resources, which are already "saturated." The rest, they explain, have opted to seek refuge in public outdoor spaces.
Improvised settlements in the city
The new improvised reception points include the green area next to the Gesa building, Bellver forest, and the beach, where emerging settlements have already been detected. Doctors of the World warns that these locations lack the minimum conditions of hygiene and safety.
For the NGO, the solution "will never involve closing settlements," whether they are slums or caravan sites. "Without seeking and offering alternatives, without analysing who the people are and what needs they have in those places, very vulnerable people will not disappear just because they are expelled from a specific location," they argue.
"They will simply move to another, in personal and social conditions that are even worse than those they had," adds the organisation.
The collective insists that a city like Palma has the capacity to manage these situations with more responsibility than "handing them a piece of paper with the offer of where to sleep for two nights."
The neighbourhood on alert
Residents of the affected areas, especially in Bellver forest and the beach, have expressed their concern about the proliferation of these settlements. Some fear issues of coexistence and dirt, while others demand definitive social solutions.
Doctors of the World calls on the Palma City Council to activate a comprehensive relocation plan that considers the specific needs of each person, with special attention to the most vulnerable profiles, such as pregnant women or people with mental health issues. So far, the City Council has not issued an official response to the criticisms.
The old Palma prison was evicted in early June to begin rehabilitation works on the building, which will be converted into public housing. However, the delivery timelines for these homes are set for the medium term, leaving the evicted individuals without an immediate solution.
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