Badalona Mayor Albiol Calls for Tougher Penalties on Repeat House Occupiers

Badalona’s mayor Xavier García Albiol, who will head the Popular Party’s list for Barcelona in the upcoming November election, said he intends to introduce stricter sanctions against repeat house occupiers. His proposal calls for imprisonment of Spanish repeat offenders and the swift removal of foreign occupants to their countries of origin. Albiol described the problem as acute in Catalonia and urged PP supporters to consolidate their vote so he can assemble experts and victims to draft legal changes once the new legislature starts.

He emphasized that people unable to pay rent or mortgages should receive social support, while the majority of occupations, he claims, are carried out by organized groups that create disorder. Albiol also criticized the opposition for blocking a similar anti-occupation law proposed three years ago, noting that Badalona has reduced occupation attempts, with more than half reportedly aborted.