The Spanish government is stepping up its investigation into far-right and racist groups following recent attacks that targeted African migrants.
The attacks by far-right groups were sparked by an incident in Torre Pacheco, Murcia, a week ago, in which a 60-year-old man was assaulted. Three Moroccan nationals have been accused in the case. In Torre Pacheco, one-third of the population is of Moroccan origin.
Authorities have arrested 11 individuals and more than 60 complaints have been filed for hate crimes and public disorder since the unrest began last Friday.
Despite far-right claims of rising crime, between 2011 and 2024 crime rates in Spain dropped by 7%, while immigration increased by 54%.
The Interior Ministry announced that Spain’s intelligence units focused on terrorism and organized crime have been asked to include hate crimes in their scope and to monitor online spaces for incitement to violence.
Far-right groups will be investigated for possible links to nationalist movements such as the far right Vox party, which has been accused of encouraging violence against migrants, according to the Interior Ministry. Vox has denied responsibility for the riots and blamed the unrest on the government’s immigration policy under center-left Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stated, “We cannot allow hatred to take root in our society,” and added that “crime is not on the rise, nor is it linked to immigration.”
What is fyi.news?
