Spain is facing an unprecedented crisis with the illegal occupation of homes, a problem that has continued to grow since Pedro Sánchez came to power in 2018. His government, supported by Podemos and Sumar, has placed more obstacles for owners than for squatters, generating a sense of insecurity and lack of control in thousands of citizens.
The figures are scandalous: more than 4,000 homes occupied in the Canary Islands since 2018, 76% more than in the seven years of the Popular Party's government. In 2024 alone, 663 squatting cases have been registered in the islands, which is equivalent to 55 homes occupied per month, or one every 13 hours. Meanwhile, the Government continues to offer no real solutions.
Squatting is no longer an isolated phenomenon. Now, organized networks illegally rent occupied homes, expel legitimate owners, and even take advantage of the hospitalization of elderly people to take their homes. The law, instead of protecting the owners, seems designed to favor the squatters.
The PSOE and its partners have promoted a legal framework that paralyzes the action of Justice and the Security Forces. In the Canary Islands, evictions take an average of 23.5 months. Almost two years to recover a property! Meanwhile, squatters can register, access public aid, and enjoy rights over a home that is not theirs.
To stop this problem, the Popular Party presented an Anti-Squatting Law more than a year ago that included eviction in 24 hours, harsher penalties, and a ban on registration for squatters. However, the Congress, controlled by PSOE and Sumar, is blocking its processing. It is clear that Sánchez does not want to end squatting, but to protect it.
Faced with the government's passivity, citizens have begun to organize. In municipalities such as Tacoronte, La Laguna, or Santa Cruz de Tenerife, residents have formed brigades to prevent new squatting cases. Confidence in the State has plummeted: citizens feel that they are defenseless against those who take their homes illegally.
However, a different approach has been seen in Arrecife. Its mayor, Yonathan de León, has taken firm measures against squatting, demonstrating that with political will, homes can be recovered and the safety of owners can be guaranteed. It is an example that the problem is not the lack of solutions, but the lack of decision by the central government.
Squatting is not a housing problem, it is a crime problem. Defending private property and security is not an ideological issue, but an obligation of the State.
But Pedro Sánchez and his Government have chosen the side of the squatters. Meanwhile, thousands of families see how their homes are invaded without anyone doing anything.
Spain needs a firm and urgent response. It is time to say enough is enough and demand a change of course before squatting continues to destroy neighborhoods, families, and the safety of everyone.
