Annual Report 2014 - Discrimination and the Roma community

Cases of discrimination in the media

13.

Barcelona.

The media.

Direct discrimination.

“Sant Vicenç de Montalt.- Three nomadic Gypsy families illegally settled into a high standing housing

development in Sant Vicenç de Montalt (Maresme). The homes are unfinished and therefore are not yet

connected to basic services. Two other people are camped in another two homes, one of them the

former security guard at the development, before the company, which had allegedly sublet the rest of

the homes along the camí del Padro, went bankrupt. The town council has taken security measures in

light of the social alarm caused by the development.

The company, Brava Parc, went bankrupt in late 2010 and abandoned the promotion known as Balcó

del Balís- Can Calella; nine luxury apartments located on a prime piece of real estate along the camí del

Padro. The former security guard, a man from South America who was registered as a local resident,

lived in the development while employed. With the bankruptcy of the company, this man sublet four

of the nine houses to a homeless person of Basque origin, who was also registered as a local resident,

and recently to three Roma families.

Under pressure from the City Council of Sant Vicenç de Montalt, a legal representative of the deve-

lopment company filed a complaint to the Mossos d’Esquadra (regional police) with the intention of

evicting these people. In the meantime, Social Services activated an aid protocol as the houses are only

half built and do not meet liveability standards and still depend on services provided from construction

facilities. For example, the occupants are supplied with electricity from a fuel-powered generator and

have only rainwater to drink.

The presence of these families in the exclusive area of

Sant Vicenç has caused a great deal of alarm

throughout the neighbourhood, prompting the council to announce that “special attention shall be given

to those activities that could cause problems amongst neighbours”.

casE 13