Evictions Rock Beloved Spanish Coastal Town, Are You Affected?

Can you imagine over 3,000 people being uprooted from their homes? For some residents in the Spanish town of Denia this nightmare is becoming a reality.

A report earlier this month brought to attention how the Spanish government initiated its most extensive collective eviction to date. This operation is unfolding in Denia, a coastal city nestled midway between Alicante and Valencia, writes the Express.

The government’s decision to requisition numerous coastal properties has sparked widespread outrage. Homeowners are now desperately turning to the Supreme Court to contest what they view as the unjust seizure and plundering of their homes by the General Directorate of Coasts.

Impact And Resistance

This massive eviction will result in over 3,000 residents losing both their homes and other buildings. These properties are set to be transformed into public land or repurposed for government concessions.

The decision also affects other Costa Blanca towns, with around 1,700 homes in a 10km stretch facing similar fates. Authorities believe this land is essential for creating a buffer against coastal erosion, which has been damaging houses.

Public Outcry

Over 50 influential groups have united to challenge the evictions, declaring: ‘Our objective is the defence of our beaches and the rights of citizens against the unjustified and perverse harassment that we are suffering from the state.’

The local community of Denia is deeply troubled, fearing the loss of property rights to homes that have been legally established and inhabited for over a century.

Some residents have attributed the coastal erosion to the exploitation of the area by private entities, particularly cement companies extracting sand and pebbles from the beaches and the development and expansion of ports.

The Platform of Those Affected by the Coastal Law in Denia has criticised the administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. They accuse the General Directorate of Coasts of acting like ‘an organised group of shellers, exchanging the ownership of legitimate homes for concessions. That is, stripping their legitimate owners of their ownership.’

Pedro Pastor, the platform’s spokesperson, expressed that these homes are not regarded as valuable for the coast. Many of these buildings, including century-old fishermen’s houses passed down through generations, are at stake. Vicente Martinez Mus, the General Director of Coasts of the Generalitat Valenciana, has vowed to oppose this procedure.