Caracuel is reported to have referred to the immigrants as ‘a threat’ and as ‘invaders’ of the town, leader IU to comment ‘We cannot doubt that this type of sale is illegal, but the way of combating it is not adequate’.The Defensor del Pueblo, the Spanish Ombudsman, has asked for an explanation from Marbella Town Hall following a spate of immigrant arrests in the town. The PP local councillor for citizen safety, Francisca Caracuel, has ordered a zero tolerance policy for those who sell their wares by foot in the town, and this has resulted in 500 arrests in a few months. Most of the sales were of counterfeit goods, and 50,000 such items were recently crushed by a steam roller in Puerto Banús to underline the policy. However 17 Chinese beach masseurs have also been arrested, and criticism of the harshness of the police has come from the IU left wing.The Ombudsman, José Chamizo, met with the left wingers and a local Senegalese association last September and called on the Town Hall to ‘only apply the law’. Some claim that in fact things have improved considerably for the immigrants compared to the time of the GIL administration.
Two recent court cases in Spain have seen immigrants charged with such sales being released, given that profits made were minimal and the activity was necessary for their survival.
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