Last October, twenty migrants housed at the Pirenarium reception center in Sabiñánigo signed a paper that they believed was a work contract in Burgos, but which also implied their exit from the reception system. Six weeks later, three of them are living in a shelter thanks to the pro-refugee platform Alto Gállego and are “desperately” looking for work because funds have run out.
When they arrived in Burgos, they discovered abusive working conditions, crowded into a house for which they each paid 150 euros per month. After eleven days of work during which “at no time were they criticized for their way of working”, they were fired. As explained in the complaint filed, they “politely” asked the owner of the farm “to improve the habitability of the house because they did not believe they could carry out the two months of work promised to them in this situation” . The boss told them that if they didn’t like the house, “they should look for another one” and they were kicked out.
Of the twenty who went to Burgos, ten returned to Sabiñánigo and seven of them filed complaints against this situation. The others have found work: “The vast majority come from Senegal and Mali, they have a better environment and know Spanish people.” However, those who returned to Sabiñánigo come from Gambia, a country from which far fewer migrants come.
When they returned to Sabiñánigo, they had to sleep in a tent because they could not enter the Pirenarium shelter. They were also welcomed by one of the Spanish teachers, who took them to her home while they looked for a housing solution for them. There are only three left and they are staying at the Yebra de Basa shelter, which has reduced its rate to 5 euros per night to accommodate them, and their costs are paid by the Alto Gállego Pro-Refugee Platform, although it is the last week for which they have money.
Raquel is a volunteer Spanish teacher for the migrants at the Pirenarium. He explains that these children “were deceived” and that “they did not know that they wanted to get out of the system”. He considers that Apip-Acam pressured them to accept the position. Apip-Acam is the association that manages the Pirenarium center, a Phase 1 emergency center for people in International Protection situations. This association refused to make statements on the situation of these young people and the process by which they left the center.
The complainants state that they were told by Apip-Acam that they had to “accept the position because otherwise we will have problems with our papers, our asylum card will not be renewed to obtain the red card. We are afraid and we accept the job.
Now, their Spanish teachers and the Pro Refugee Platform are trying to find work for these young people, “we have sent their CVs everywhere, to slaughterhouses, agricultural unions, farms, ski resorts…” but, for moment, without success. If they don’t find anything, one of them will go to Almería to work in a greenhouse without a paper contract: “This is not desirable, after six months of support and support we thought we would find them a job , that the only thing they want is work. “These are children who are fleeing very complicated family situations and who want to work, earn money and help their family. »
Institutional aid in this situation was based on the Alto Gállego Region’s offer of help to rent an apartment for three months, however, Raquel explains that “no one wants to rent to three unemployed black people”, since who have experienced racist episodes. during these months. The last of these took place when one of the young people returning from Burgos went to Almería, where he had found a job. They found him a blablacar so he could take a bus from Zaragoza to Murcia and, when the driver found out who the traveler was, he said “he wouldn’t have a black man in his car “.
The Government Delegation maintains that once users “leave the reception system, in the event of a situation of vulnerability, they must go to the entities in Phase 0, first reception, where their needs will be taken care of”.
The Ministry of Social Protection and Family of the Government of Aragon refers to the statements it made the week in which these events became known, accusing the Government Delegation of “negligence”. “Not only does the Spanish government not inform the government of Aragon of what happens to everyone once they abandon a resource; “They also do not support their inclusion process appropriately and end it without the necessary guarantees.”
In the complaint presented by the young people, they claim that the foundation received a job offer for 20 people and that they signed a document “in which they were informed of their voluntary departure from the center”. However, they maintain that they thought that once the two months of work had passed “they would continue to benefit from the support of Apip-Acam to process their papers”. They also claim that the foundation “virtually forced them to sign without the possibility of refusing” and state that they did not receive a copy of this document.
Raquel denounces that, in a situation of this type, they should have had a translator and a lawyer to explain to them the consequences of signing this paper, “they told them that if they did not accept this job in Burgos, it would cost them their file, they put a series of fears that are not like that. Today, these three young people hope to obtain a yes from a company and to be able to work to continue their reception process in Spain.
