By Dr. Sahib Mustaqim BleherAs British expatriates are abandoning the Spanish sunshine due to the
devaluation of the pound against the Euro, Spain, predominantly
dependent on tourism, is sinking deeper into recession. With the
economic downturn comes a rise in right-wing politics, as is also the
case in other countries of Europe. Whilst some countries view this
development and its concomitant racism as a threat, Spain seems to
embrace it with open arms. For the erstwhile dictatorship where fascism
lingered another three decades after the end of the second world war,
being a police state seems only too natural. For foreign visitors to
Spain the arrogance of the
Guardia Civil, the Spanish paramilitary police, and the deference showed to them by civilians and officials alike are becoming more evident.
Case
study Girona airport: an airport entirely dependent on Ryanair who fly
to numerous European destinations as well as Morocco from there. Many
come here for the sun, but many are transit passengers on a stop-over
to another Ryanair destination, since in spite of the substandard
service, queuing system and hand luggage checks bordering on
harassment, Ryanair flights, heavily subsidised by the regions to which
they fly, remain the cheapest way to get around Europe at the moment.
Whereas most airports in Europe only have X-ray machines for departure
check-in, Spanish airports also feature X-ray machines for arrivals,
which are used discretionary. Discretion always leaves room for abuse,
and where nationalist tendencies prevail, this takes the form of racial
profiling.
From observation it appears that travellers of
Moroccan appearance (and for the Spanish police that includes all
manners of Asians) stand a much greater chance of being asked to put
their hand luggage through a scanner on arrival. So far, this is only a
minor inconvenience, but the scanning, although showing that no
contraband is being carried, is frequently followed by a passport check
after which the inspecting officer walks off with the document to a
security office room where he photocopies the passport and enters
details on his computer for a purpose undisclosed to the perplexed
passenger. Any attempt to question the purpose or even legality of the
move is swiftly followed by the questioner being subjected to prolonged
questioning (exclusively in Spanish and often deteriorating into being
shouted at) before he is eventually released without explanation. There
have been cases where police locked the door of the examination room
from the inside before intimidating the "suspects". Demands for an
interpreter are regularly ignored.
A similar treatment is
sometimes also meted out to passengers on departure check-in, although
it is less serious since the passenger wants to leave Spain anyway and
non-cooperation could hardly have the more damaging result of being
denied entry to the country. Nonetheless, it is disruptive and may
eventually turn the visit to, or stop-over in, Spain into an experience
the weary traveller does not want to repeat. One should think that
Spain can hardly afford turning people away who might help save the
Spanish economy by spending their money there, but the police at least
have no such scruples.
On an occasion, when I challenged their
inappropriate behaviour, they responded by subjecting me to the very
same treatment of running off with my passport and subjecting me to
questioning, the process being prolonged by the fact that the examining
officer was unable to operate his own computer equipment! I did manage
to arrange for an interpreter who, however, seemed clearly awe-stricken
by the police officers and more intent on arguing their case than
translating between the parties. What I was repeatedly told was that
when you are in Spain, Spanish police can do whatever they want, basta.
A reminder that Spain was a signatory to numerous European conventions
cut no ice.
Officers with the following badge numbers currently
have an official complaint filed against them with the municipality of
Catalunya or the airport authority: 2510, 84613, 88336, 99142. It
remains to be seen whether they are at all accountable and effective
checks on an abuse of police power exist in Spain - the historic
evidence is not encouraging.
-- Mathaba Author Dr. Sahib Mustaqim Bleher is a German living in England, a Muslim and a pilot - in the oppressive neo-fascist climate of today, this means walking a tight rope. And it requires speaking out. He has done so through articles, pamphlets and books, many of which are available via his FlyingImam web site. #
