The concentration, which took place early in the morning, initially prevented the entry of workers from the Fundación Cepaim, the NGO responsible for managing their asylum processes in Spain. Their intention was also to march on foot to Guardamar along the N-332, a road with heavy traffic exceeding 25,000 vehicles daily.
The Guardia Civil, through the Citizen Security Unit of the Alicante Command (USECIC), intervened to mediate the situation and prevent the group of migrants from walking on the road. After negotiations with migrant representatives, they abandoned their march attempt and allowed access to the NGO staff.
The migrants, mostly of Malian origin, are housed in a hotel operating in the former Maristas seminary, located at the southern access to the Elche district of La Marina. They arrived on the Peninsula from the Canary Islands in mid-2023, as part of a reception program to reduce pressure on the archipelago's centers. Most have refugee status and international protection, but this does not guarantee an immediate work permit.
“"What they want is work and a livelihood, to be able to live themselves and send money to their families in their places of origin, in Mali, where they are at war. The procedures are not agile."
Since the program began in 2023, some migrants have managed to regularize their residency and found employment in the primary sector, including agricultural companies and fishing fleets along the Alicante coast. However, the hotel management points out that, even with work, access to decent housing remains a major challenge for this group.
