Photos: Sergio Betancort
More than 18,000 euros. That is the amount that Said El Boudmoussi, who has lived in Lanzarote for 26 years, must return to the State Public Employment Service, after this body considered the unemployment benefit he was receiving for having flown to Morocco as undue.
The story of Said El Boudmoussi goes back to 2008, when he became unemployed and began to receive the corresponding benefit, dated October 3, 2010, which he was collecting for two years until October 2010. Until then everything was without problems, but the same did not happen when, once the unemployment ended, Said went to ask for new help.
According to Said, when he went to the INEM to apply for help, his passport in force was required. "It was expired and I had to go to the consulate in Las Palmas to renew it and pay for the trip, when I had almost no money for it," explains Said.
At first, Said handed over his passport and, according to his complaint, he was granted unemployment benefits. However, a month later, this resident of Arrecife received a notification from the Ministry of Labor in which he was informed that he had "unduly" received unemployment benefits.
Trip to Morocco
The problem is that Said traveled in July 2009 for a month to Morocco without notifying it. And, therefore, the Ministry of Labor claims the money that he was receiving from that date until October 2010, "due to emigration or transfer abroad." In total, an amount that amounts to 18,825.32 euros and that, according to the writing, Said would compensate with the new benefit that he had requested.
Said considers that this measure is "unfair." And it is that, according to his complaint, he traveled to Morocco, his country of origin, "due to the serious condition of his mother who was hospitalized." "I did not change my residence, nor did I go to work. I only went for a month, because my mother was sick. It was something forced and I have proof that my mother was admitted," he says. In addition, Said adds, "I don't understand why they ask me for my passport, when they don't ask Spaniards for it."
Faced with this fact, Said went to claim to the State Public Employment Service where, according to his writing, he presented documents that verified the reason for his trip. "This displacement cannot be understood as a transfer of residence abroad and, although it is true that it was not communicated due to ignorance, this cannot negatively affect the unemployment benefit," he says in his claim.
However, the Ministry of Labor sent him another letter insisting that he had to return the money. "If they claim the month that I have left is fine, but no more", insists Said. For this reason, Said went on February 4 to the Social Court of Arrecife where he filed a complaint against the State Public Employment Service to request that the resolution be annulled. "I have two small children and a mortgage to pay. My wife has a call center, but it gives more losses than profits, and we are living badly, because I am not receiving anything," concludes Said.
