Catalonia: Squatters, eviction and extortion
How Catalonia\u2019s housing crisis spawns opportunities for organised crime\u2026 Spain has a history of squatting. After the property crash of 2008 many families were forced to occupy homes that did not belong to them because they could not pay their mortgages. Now a darker side to \u2018okupacion\u2019 has emerged. Organised crime has seen an opportunity. Some flats in Barcelona have become \u2018narcopisos\u2019 - properties used to process or sell drugs. Other empty properties have been \u2018sub-let\u2019 by gangs to families who cannot afford a commercial rent. And the pandemic has spawned a new commercial model \u2013 extortion. These are cases where squatters occupy a property and demand a \u2018ransom\u2019 from the owner of several thousand Euros before they will leave. Enter the controversial \u2018desokupa\u2019 companies \u2013 firms run by boxers and bouncers who will evict unwanted 'tenants.'
Producer / Presenter: Linda Pressly\nProducer / Presenter in Spain: Esperanza Escribano\nEditor: Bridget Harney
(Image: Jorge Fe, director of FueraOkupas \u2013 a company dedicated to evicting squatters and unwanted tenants. Credit: BBC/Esperanza Escribano)