Friday, June 19, 2009

The Madrid Airport Incident



When I began to research my project on African immigrants living in Spain, Living in the Shadows, I came across some surprising information. Immigrants in Spain when detained for expulsion are often violently treated and forcibly placed on flights to be returned to their country of origin. El Pais reported back in September 2008 that the Spanish government regularly flys illegal immigrants back to their countries of origin in Western Africa with a security force of more then one policeman per person (in this case 117 police for 101 illegal aliens).

The Spanish government also does not allow journalists in to detention centers nor on these flights. This video brings to light a little known reality and it's about time Spanish citizens began to know the truth about how Spanish and E.U. immigration policy is being maintained.

1 comment:

Photojournalist Indonesia said...

There's a great story in the first issue of Orsai magazine (in Spanish). They send a reporter/writer friend on a flight from Argentina with the sole mission of being deported and able to report on the conditions inside these places. Here: http://editorialorsai.com/revista/post/n1_seselovsky