Almost 20 illegally occupied properties and makeshift settlements have been cleared in Torrox this summer.
The Local Police, supported by the Guardia Civil, carried out evictions at locations across the Costa del Sol municipality during the summer months, according to the town hall.
Torrox, about a 45-minute drive east of Malaga airport, is hugely popular with British and German residents.
Officials said some of the makeshift camps had been established in particularly dangerous locations, including riverbeds where sudden rises in water levels could put occupants’ lives at risk.
Others contained accumulations of belongings, rubbish and other materials which authorities feared could increase the risk of fire.
Mayor Oscar Medina said the operations were intended both to protect vulnerable people and uphold private property rights.
‘We cannot normalise someone sleeping in a riverbed or irregularly occupying a property, whether public or private, surrounded by materials that could cause a fire, or in any other space that does not meet minimum safety and habitability conditions,’ he said.
Medina added that the council had already called on Spain’s central government to help find solutions and said authorities needed to provide a coordinated response.
Riverside camp cleared for second time
Among the locations targeted was a makeshift settlement beneath the bridge over the Güi river in El Morche.
Authorities have now cleared the site for a second time, citing its position within the river area and the potential danger posed by rising water, as well as concerns about sanitation and general safety.
Municipal workers subsequently removed belongings, rubbish and other accumulated material from the area.
Other interventions have taken place at Punta del Faro, Calle Carlos Cano, Calle Baja, around the sports facilities in Ferrara and alongside the Almeria road near the Urban Beach hotel, among other locations.
The operations come amid similar interventions elsewhere in Malaga province.
A homeless encampment at Parque Carniceros in Malaga city’s Poligono Alameda was dismantled on Friday for the second time in two weeks, with local businesses calling for continued monitoring and a longer-term social solution.
Social services involved
The Guardia Civil assisted Torrox Local Police where necessary, while the council’s Social Services department and Civil Protection volunteers have also been involved.
Medina thanked the different agencies for their cooperation and stressed that the issue could not be addressed solely through enforcement.
‘Torrox must continue to be a safe, habitable and welcoming municipality for everyone, and that means protecting both those who live here and those who find themselves in a particularly vulnerable situation,’ he said.
He added that authorities could neither ignore the problem nor allow makeshift settlements to become established in dangerous locations.
Instead, he said the objective should be to provide ‘dignified, safe and coordinated’ responses while protecting residents, public spaces and private property.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
