José María Manso, chief inspector of the National Police's immigration brigade in the Balearics, is retiring after 44 years of service.
He transferred from Bilbao to Mallorca in 1991 and in 2000 set up the UCRIF, the unit for immigration networks and documentation falsification. Few have the experience and knowledge of Chief Inspector Manso when it comes to the issues surrounding immigration and the challenges it poses.
In 2000, he recalls, the main focus was on Romanians. "There were many problems with them - prostitution, white slavery and crimes against property. Now, and on a daily basis, it is the problem of the boats that come from Algeria and everything that surrounds those who arrive and stay. It's a big problem that involves the entire police leadership."
Key factors, he points out, have been the pandemic and the breakdown of relations between Spain and Algeria. "Due to Covid, people couldn't be returned to any country. As to the relations with Algeria, this prevents repatriation. Before this conflict, one hundred per cent of the people who arrived in boats were returned to their country of origin. Now, a good number of those who stay in Mallorca are committing crimes and it is a very serious problem. Furthermore, it is currently absolutely impossible to expel an Algerian from the country."
He explains that a direct route from Algeria to the Balearics was created some time ago. It is fully established. But the police had warned that this was only part of Africa. "Much of the sub-Saharan part of the continent has also opened routes to the islands; also from Morocco and Asian countries."
The chief inspector says that there was a time when all migrants were sent back to their countries of origin. "They arrived and a few days later they were back in their country." It was also the case that migrants who weren't returned tended to use Mallorca and the Balearics as a transit station for moving to the mainland or to various European countries. There are now more who stay in Mallorca, and "the vast majority who stay here are committing crimes and are repeat offenders". "They can commit up to 30 crimes in a short time."
Why aren't they sent to prison? "They start with minor crimes like theft. No one goes to prison for this. Robberies with violence; yes, they should go, but these can be difficult to prove."
Irregular registration, he notes, supports illegal immigration. "They arrive in Spain, register at an address and generate a series of rights, a health card and aid. In addition, they get on a waiting list to obtain a residence permit. There are people who register in a municipality and then go back to their country. When the two years pass, they return with the certificate that they have been residing in Spain.
"How do they register so easily? It can depend on the official on duty, who sees how 25 people are living in a house of 80 square metres. But it's also become a business, with registrations being sold from 200 euros. We've come across cases in which owners of apartments have no idea that people are being registered at their properties."