Residents of the former prison, addressing the mayor of Palma: “Will you leave 200 people homeless to build a roundabout?”

PalmThe situation of the approximately 200 residents of Palma's former prison was the main topic of discussion at Thursday's Palma City Council meeting. Several people living in the abandoned complex spoke, supported by the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH), to demand a solution before the eviction announced by the City Council takes place. PAH representative Àngela Pons summed up the problem in one sentence: "Will they leave 200 people homeless to build a roundabout?"

Silvino, one of the residents, put it this way: "Do I have to live under a bridge? I'm sick." He said that if he's evicted, he'll be left on the street. "What do I do now? How will I live?" he added, blaming the politicians for the situation. Luisa, also a resident of the complex, explained that she is "in the hands of the doctors" and that she has been registered with the Ibavi (Balearic Housing Institute) for eight years without finding an apartment. "We're not here by choice," she emphasized, while asking the mayor to "have a heart." She demanded decent and affordable housing in a city where rental prices, she said, are "exorbitant." Aurora, for her part, recounted that she has recently been looking for a room and has only found one for 1,200 euros a month, with the possibility of cooking only two days a week. "I'm in prison and I shower every day; let's see what they'll do with us now," she lamented.

The PAH representative criticized the municipal government, arguing that the eviction, without a clear alternative, could end up encouraging new occupations. "We're talking about human beings," she insisted, also criticizing the fact that hundreds of people have been left on the street without any "healthcare and housing" support. She also questioned the creation of an anti-employment office: "We're paying your salaries not because it has to be done, but because it's not necessary."

Emergency protocol

The First Deputy Mayor and City Councillor of Palma, Javier Bonet, explained that they have been desperately seeking housing solutions for three days after four fires, possibly arson, broke out on the premises in a single weekend. In response, he announced that an emergency protocol will be activated at the next City Council meeting. Bonet spoke of offering "rooms, accommodations, or other housing options" and addressing the situation as a "social emergency," a matter that will be discussed urgently at City Hall tomorrow. He also detailed that a special cleaning operation is being prepared, which could cost around €90,000. This project will be processed as a major contract and, therefore, must adhere to administrative deadlines. "Violating fundamental rights"

During his speech in the plenary session, Pons accused the Palma City Council of violating fundamental rights with the intention of evict the people who live in the old Palma prison without offering them an alternative residenceThe organization has criticized Mayor Jaime Martínez's remarks regarding the eviction from the property, stating that it is "unacceptable" that, in the context of a housing crisis, families in extremely vulnerable situations who occupy this abandoned public building on the Sóller road are being evicted. Pons reiterated that access to decent housing is a basic right that must be guaranteed by the local administration, especially for people experiencing social exclusion. PAH Mallorca also warned that the lack of alternative housing not only exacerbates the social emergency faced by those affected but also places them in a more precarious and defenseless situation. According to the organization, the City Council's actions at the former Palma prison fail to fulfill its obligation to protect the human, constitutional, and regional rights of the nearly 200 people occupying the municipally owned building. Therefore, he has demanded a halt to the eviction and has asked the City Council to implement measures, using its own resources or in collaboration with social organizations, that will allow for the full integration of those affected.