The police work closely with the property owners, obtaining explicit permission before taking action. Authorities first make absolutely certain the home is empty to avoid any legal issues which may result if people were still inside.
Thanks to this bold strategy, Alguazas has reclaimed numerous homes and two entire buildings in the last year, dramatically reducing neighbourhood tension, conflicts, and criminal activity linked to some of the illegally occupied properties.
Legal Gray Area. Under Spanish law, property owners generally require a court order to legally evict squatters. However, this new strategy bypasses the judicial system. Bricking up homes, even when no one is inside, operates in a legal grey zone. Spanish law does not explicitly allow or prohibit this practice. If authorities act when the property is vacant, this is seen as “securing an empty home” rather than forcibly evicting occupants.
While no Okupas have submitted lawsuits against property owners so far, squatters theoretically have the right to sue for unlawful eviction or coercion. Of course, coming forward would also expose them to criminal charges for illegal home occupation.
The operations are carefully timed and supervised by local police to minimize confrontation. That said, there are still risks. Squatters could return and become aggressive, and there is always the possibility of retaliatory acts like vandalism. So far, serious incidents have been avoided, and local residents show overwhelming support for the strategy. They have seen a significant improvement in neighbourhood safety.
Local reports indicate that crime in Alguazas dropped by 30% since the new measures. Many of these illegally occupied homes were being used as bases for drug dealing, and secure spots for acts of theft, and public disturbance. By removing these ‘safe spots’ for criminals, Alguazas has seen more peace and security on its streets.
Spain has one of the highest rates of squatting in Europe, driven by a combination of poor governance, slow eviction processes, and lenient penalties. There have been some recent legal reforms intended to accelerate evictions, however the reality is that most cases will drag on for months or even years.
Larger cities and municipalities seem cautious to adopt similar strategies, concerned that these tactics could attract legal challenges or criticism from human rights groups.
So far, there has been little formal backlash against Alguazas’ method, but legal experts warn that it raises concerns about due process and the rights of illegal occupants. Some critics state that while property rights must be protected, eviction actions should always be supervised by a court to avoid potential abuses.
Still, the success in Alguazas highlights a growing frustration in Spain: many communities are unwilling to tolerate governance that protects illegal acts, punishes the innocent, and rewards long procedural processes to address wrongs. Alguazas’ bold methods may yet influence the national conversation on how the law should be implemented.
