Residents complain about squatters in Palma

The house was reported sealed by Palma City Council because of asbestos, but around 6 Algerian immigrants allegedly broke in and have been living there illegally ever since.

“There’s continuous fights, screaming and robberies,” claims one neighbour who says she’s scared for her daughters and herself. “The other day an elderly woman's watch was stolen when she left her house and I have been threatened several times and the truth is we are living with a lot of worry.”

“The police come every time there is an incident, but they've told us there's nothing they can do,” she added.

According to the Consistory, proceedings began in 1991 and at the end of 2019, the procedure was launched to declare the building a ruin, but it’s a long process which was delayed even further by the State of Emergency.

Several people were evicted from the same building over the summer and in September.