New semi-detached houses with 'night barbecue': residents in San Bartolomé de Tirajana are concerned about illegal settlements

 

 

 

Residents of San Bartolomé de Tirajana have expressed growing concern about the proliferation of night settlements around Playa del Inglés, a plot of land near Calle Suiza, where homeless people have improvised resting areas with mattresses and bonfires. The situation has generated insecurity and discomfort, both for residents and for those forced to sleep in these conditions. No one should be forced to spend the night outdoors, facing the cold and uncertainty without a roof that provides them with security and dignity.

 

This problem, which has already been pointed out as a "Hot spot" in Maspalomas24h, reflects a worrying reality: the extreme poverty and destitution that affects some migrants and foreigners who want to settle on the island without sufficient resources. The lack of solutions at the government level has led these people to seek refuge in public spaces, generating sadness and at the same time a complex and contradictory reality. San Bartolomé de Tirajana, being an economic engine of tourism in Gran Canaria, faces a social crisis that highlights the lack of effective solutions for those who are left out of the system. While thousands of tourists enjoy their holidays, there are people in extremely vulnerable situations who seek refuge in any available corner such as the cave village at the entrance of our municipality. 

 

 

 

Social Affairs has made efforts to assist people in vulnerable situations, but the growing migration crisis has intensified the problem. In San Bartolomé de Tirajana, in addition to informal settlements, the presence of unaccompanied minors arriving in cayucos has generated an overload of assistance resources, without the Spanish Government having proposed an effective solution to date.

 

Residents insist that an urgent response is needed to ensure security in the area and, at the same time, provide decent alternatives for homeless people. The lack of sufficient shelters and specific plans for the integration of migrants and homeless people is aggravating a problem that continues to grow in the municipality.