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Voted top expat paper in Spain
NEWS FEATURE OPINION A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month. MobHow the Costa del Sol’s glitziest resort became a global HQ of organised crime, writes Fiona Govan Welcome to -ella Legal limbo
AS if it wasn’t hard enough for Brits to navigate their way through Spain’s bureaucratic requirements – and during a global pandemic to boot – we are hearing of more and more hurdles placed in their way. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Brits living in Spain have yet to get their residency papers in order. Some of these people just didn’t heed the multiple warnings issued by Spanish and British Embassy authorities – and reported repeatedly by the Olive Press - to register in plenty of time before the Brexit deadline hit. Many of those who left it until the last minute were thwarted by the lockdown as they found themselves banned from travelling between the UK and Spain when the pandemic hit. Others were unable to secure appointments at the relevant offices because they were closed under COVID-19 restrictions or because the backlog of applications made appointments impossible to get. So it is understandable that there are those who sought the help of experts to ease the process, often paying gestors over the odds to get the job done. Which is why it is particularly galling for them to now find themselves in a legal limbo, because unbeknownst to them, allegedly fraudulent applications were lodged on their behalf. The Olive Press has spoken to at least a dozen people who now face months of uncertainty while they wait for the slow cogs of Spain’s judicial system to turn and determine their fate. In the meantime, they are unable to travel abroad, unable to make plans for the future, unsure whether they will or will not be granted residency in Spain. These people need answers. Rest assured, the team at the Olive Press will be working hard to get them.
PUBliSHer / ediTOr
jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es
Dilip Kuner
dilip@theolivepress.es
Fiona Govan
fiona@theolivepress.es
Kirsty McKenzie
kirsty@theolivepress.es
Isha Sesay
isha@theolivepress.es
Simon Wade
simon@theolivepress.es
Alex Trelinski
alex@theolivepress.es
James Warren
james@theolivepress.es
Glenn Wickman
glenn@theolivepress.es
Graham Keeley
graham@theolivepress.es
Cristina Hodgson
cristina@theolivepress.es
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Best expat paper in Spain and the second best in the world. The Expat Survey Consumer Awards. MARBELLA has been fingered as the ‘global capital of organised crime’. At least 113 gangs of 59 different nationalities have sent the crime rate in the celebrity holiday hangout spiralling out of control, according to a damning report. And the most dangerous of them all are the British. “The Costa del Sol is a kind of hub, a sort of coworking centre where almost all organised criminal groups in the world have a presence,” a senior member of Spain’s Policia Nacional told crime rings involved in house burglaries or armed robberies, each provides different elements in the complex supply chain: such as distribution, protection and money laundering. But, he added, alliances are quick to change and break down, leading to inevitable rivalries, turf wars and revenge violence. “Whoever thinks that criminal organisations are like before, pyramidal and with all the sections covered, is wrong,” a public prosecutor told the newspaper. “They are not cartels, they provide services: we have reached the Uberisation of organised crime.” Each group has an area of expertise, he continued: from the French who bring in hashish from Morocco to the Irish clans controlling cocaine and weapons imports. An enduring feud between two rival Irish cartels – Kinahan and Hutch – is already thought to have led to 20 executions. There are also rival gangs from Serbia and other Balkan countries, as well
DEADLY: Gangster executed national newspaper El Pais in an in-depth report. Describing Marbella as a ‘UN of gangsters in a globalised world,’ the police chief said the Ritzy resort has become synonymous not only with tourism but also with crime. A network of gangs bring in drugs from South America and Africa via the Strait of Gibraltar, for distribution across Europe, he explained. A collaboration of powerful mafia structures and
Expat in Spain or immigrant: Is there a difference?
The term ‘expat’ is loaded. It’s time we moved on, argues Carrie Frais
IN a quick Google search asking the question: ‘What is the difference between an expat and an immigrant?’ Google tells us that ‘..it usually comes down to socio-economic factors, so skilled professionals working in another country are described as expatriates, whereas a manual labourer who has moved to another country to earn more money might be labelled an immigrant'. The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that an immigrant is ‘a person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country'. The original expatriate, around the 19thCentury, tended to be a middle-class, usually white, who moved abroad on a corporate assignment and (generally) chose not to integrate into their local community. If a better economic opportunity came up they would probably move again. Two centuries on, we have moved way beyond that, however. Today’s expats are from diverse backgrounds, from all over the world with different skin colours, and the vast majority of them have a desire to integrate and live in their adopted country for extended periods of time, or indeed permanently. If we adhered to the OED definition then this demographic should in fact be ter- cioeconomic realities - but maybe that med immigrants, right? should not matter? But it is not just a question of definition. It There are other terms to describe those is also about connotation. who have chosen to move to another The term ‘expat’ carries with it a myriad country through choice, such as ‘memof preconceptions about class, educa- bers of the international community’, tion, privilege and entitlement - just as ‘global citizens’ and ‘global nomads’. the terms immigrant, migrant and to a Some neologisms of the term ‘expat’ certain extent ‘foreign worker’ have a di- have also been put forward such as ‘disfferent set of assumptions. patriate’: an expat who distances themWhen used as a noun, the selves from their nation of word ‘expatriation’ can also origin; a ‘flexpatriate’: somean the act of someone renouncing allegiance to The term ‘expat’ meone who often travels internationally; ‘inpatriatheir native country, which is carries with te’: an employee sent from not the case for most peo ple. - it a myriad of a foreign subsidiary to work in the country where Some people also believe preconceptions a company has a presence that being labelled an expat sets them apart from about class and ‘rex-pat’: a repeat expat, someone who chooses their adopted cultures when to return to a foreign counin fact they are trying to do try after completing a work exactly the opposite. assignment. The majority of those who today are la- As our travel behaviours change, our belled ‘expats’ have chosen to live away working habits become more fluid and from their country of their birth as a li- the world becomes more globalised, it festyle choice, rather than due to political is becoming increasingly clear that the oppression or economic necessity. term ‘expat’ has probably run its course, So, calling everyone an ‘immigrant’ a sentiment echoed by many living away would not differentiate between so- from their native home.
SEXY BEAST: Gang life in Marbella is even worse than the movie version
as dangerous groups from the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden and members of the Italian mafia, such as the Naples-based Camorra, continually muscling in. However, according to one police source quoted by El Pais, by far the most dangerous gangs operating on the Costa Del Sol are British. “The gangs of Liverpool and Manchester have a special fame and are known for their violence and the nightly brawls in and around Marbella,” read the report. Add hitmen for hire into the mix, along with armies of foot soldiers sent by gang bosses to do the dirty work, and the place is ripe for violence. According to the latest official figures the situation had been improving but has significantly worsened since 2018, with 113 organised groups of half as many different nationalities concentrated along the Costa del Sol alone, according to data from the Intelligence Center against Terrorism and Organised Crime (CITCO). ‘The diversity of criminal groups in such a small space is a unique phenomenon,’ CITCO stated. Police consistently claim they don’t have the resources to fight such crime. The Marbella national police station receives an average of 150 crime reports daily and 32,000 cases a year. The figures for a relatively small town of just 140,000 people equate to those of cities double or triple the size. Also soaring is the number of murders and attacks due to ‘the settling of scores’, although cases have fallen recently during the pandemic. They go largely unreported due to ‘a weak press’ in the area or because many of the victims don’t want to talk to the police. Recently a Polish man was admitted to hospital with bullets in both legs, shot by a Swedish gang. He refused to testify. Ditto the Irishman who was shot in the face in Nueva Andalucia a few weeks ago. “He refused to collaborate with the investigation,” said Marcos Frias, Organised Crime coordinator for the National Police. “There are quite a lot of beatings and kidnappings, which occur in the urbanisations in the tourist zones, but they don’t make the press because there is no denuncia and the police are hardly involved,” he added. “The year has only really just started and we are having incidents of guns and shootings.” Alarmingly, the violence is continuing despite a massive clampdown on drug trafficking by the Guardia Civil in the area. This year alone, there have been 536 police raids on gangs between Huelva and Malaga, primarily concentrated in the Campo de Gibraltar. Orchestrated by the crack OCON-SUR regiment, they have seized 187 vehicles and 98 boats alone since January, as well as 55 tons of drugs and 19 million euros of laundered property. Just last week, over 200 police arrested 106 members of six different gangs in the area. Since July 2018, an eye-watering 5,536 gangsters have been rounded up between Cadiz, Huelva and Malaga. Yet despite assurances from Guardia Civil boss Maria Gamez that they are ‘attacking the very heart of these organisations’, gang rivalry has not stopped in nearby Marbella. “Now the violence is rampant,” says Antonio Rodríguez Puerta, head of the UDYCO Costa del Sol (Drugs and Or-
Do you call yourself an expat?
Carrie Frais posed the question on the MumAbroad forum do see what other felt about the word. Here’s what they had to say:
“I hate it. For me it says people who had the financial privilege to start a life in another country but who bear no interest in integrating with culture. I have never called myself an expat. Also because I moved when I was 22 with just a suitcase. Immigrant also has negative connotations. Non-native is what I'd naturally use.”
Lucy Brown
“I don't use the word expat ....I was one when I lived and worked in Malawi because our company sent us there on a contract. Now in Spain, we live and work here (was not sent here or moved here because of a job), we made this our choice of home and country of residence. This makes us immigrants until such time we become / naturalise as Spanish citizens.”
Natalie du Plooy-Simoes
“Can’t stand it. For me it definitely has connotations of privilege and wealth. And of cliquey groups of people that don’t mix with locals. I don’t use any term to describe myself in that way - it very rarely comes up that I have to define myself like that. I occasionally get asked where I’m from and I just say I’m Scottish living in Italy.”
Nicola Mckay
“I think I’d like to be called an immigrant. It would to help change the negative and incorrect connotation around the word. I migrated here and built a home here. My daughter is born here. I may pick up my bags and move on, but that’s more of a world citizen mindset and coming from a multicultural family, (so home is where we are at a given moment).”
Magda Metwally
Carrie Frais is the Barcelona-based writer behind MumAbroad.com and author of #LivingTheDream Expat Life Stripped Bare, which is now available on Amazon. Find out more on www. carriefrais.co.uk/books/
ganized Crime Unit of the National Police). “In times gone by, the criminal groups negotiated. They talked. A stash was lost and an agreement was reached. “Now we see that, if something like this happens, in most cases they go directly to ordering a hit.” T HE OlivE PrEss isn’t just Spain’s best English news website, we also have a thriving social media presence. And we want you to be a part of it. We have close to 28,000 likes on our main Facebook page and this week reached a landmark 2,000 followers on our instagram account. At a time when so many people access news through social media platforms, recognising ‘fake news’ has become a growing struggle, which is why it’s more important than ever to make sure you follow trustworthy news sources. Our team of journalists at the Olive Press are dedicated to providing up to date, properly sourced, independent news that you can trust and rely on to inform you about the issues you need to know about in Spain. So by hitting ‘like’ and ‘follow’ on the Olive Press Facebook page, you will get our latest news stories as soon as they are published directly into your newsfeed. This means not only that you can share the most up to date trustworthy news from Spain easily with your friends but also join the conversation that we like to encourage amongst all our readers. We also want to celebrate Spain, and inspire our readers to share their experiences and explore it. For those who live in Spain, visit Spain often or just love Spain, our daily instagram posts provide snapshots of the country, from bucolic scenes of Iberian pigs rooting for acorns in the dehesa, to dreamy sunsets over beautiful beaches or great shots of Spain’s iconic monuments. Plus we offer a glimpse into our readers’ experiences of Spain by inviting you to share photos taken on your travels around the country or to share those things you love about your corner of Spain.
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Spain has been ruled from 10 different capital cities and some of these ‘iron thrones’ will surprise you, writes Cristina Hodgson
MADRID wasn’t always the capital of Spain. The hot seat of power has shifted between 10 cities down the centuries, changing with the Iberian peninsula’s various Roman, Visigoth, Moorish and Catholic rulers and the geographical location of their kingdoms.
From mighty metropolises to more miniscule dots on the map, the Olive Press pays homage to the kingdom’s glorious forgotten capitals.
SEVILLa 1808-10
Spain’s fourth largest city was the capital of Spain for two years during the Napoleonic wars. It was a period when Spain was bristling with Napoleon’s troops and some of the heaviest fighting took place around the city. On December 16, 1808 Count Floridablanca, president of the Supreme Central and Governing Junta of Spain transferred the Cortes to Sevilla, with the Real Alcazar becoming its new headquarters. Capital status ended in January 1810 when the city surrendered to Napoleon’s troops. However since June 30, 1982, Sevilla has been the elected political capital of Andalucia.
Founded by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC and the oldest inhabited city in Europe, the mantle of power passed to Cadiz for three years when the Cortes moved from Sevilla. It was during its brief reign as capital of Spain that the Spanish Constitution of 1812, ‘La Pepa’, was proclaimed in this Atlantic coastal city. It was a golden era for Cadiz when it monopolised trade as a central port of call on sea routes. Today valued for its golden beaches as well as its famous sherry, its wealthy colonial past is still evident in its noble architecture, elegant squares and magical gardens.
CaNgaS dEoNIS
718-924
This Andalucian city has been a big player since Roman times when it became the capital of the province of Hispania Ulterior. But its true splendour came a few centuries later at the height of the Muslim conquest when it became the capital of Moorish Spain under exiled Syrian prince Abd Al-Rahman I. The Great Mosque, his masterpiece, is one of the world’s most prized Islamic buildings, an authentic architectural treasure declared a World Heritage Site in 1984. By the time Abd Al-Rahman III became ruler in 929, Cordoba was Europe’s largest and most advanced city where Christians, Jews and Muslims co-ex-
CadIZ
1810-1813
Cordoba 7661236 Although it has little to show for it, this municipality at the gateway to the Picos de Europa National Park in Asturias was the ‘first capital of the Kingdom of Spain’. It’s where the Visigoth noble Pelayo set up the Asturian monarchy in the 8th century after the Battle of Covadonga, considered the first strike against the Moors in the Christian reconquest. Modern-day Cangas de Onis is more famous for its mountain scenery and has only one major monument standing, the socalled Roman Bridge actually built in the 1300s. But although there isn’t much to it except for two or three major streets, it once formed the nucleus of the Spain we know and love today.
Surrounded by orange orchards and sandy beaches, Valencia’s moment in the political sun came between November 1936 and October 1937, when the capital of the Republican government was transferred there amidst fears of losing Madrid. On March 30, 1939, after the fall of Catalunya and most other Republican territory, Valencia surrendered to Franco’s forces. It remains the third largest city in Spain
barCELoNa
507-576, 1937-39
bUrgoS 1939
The government of Franco’s rebel Republic moved three times between 1936 and 1939, from Valencia, to Barcelona and finally to Burgos. The city held the title of capital between April 1 and October 18, 1939, coinciding with the end of the Spanish Civil War. After the conflict, the dictator decided to restore capital status to Madrid, a position it has held ever since. Today, the medieval town of Burgos is celebrated for its magnificent cathedral. It also remains an important stop on the Ruta de Santiago (Way of Saint James) pilgrim trail to Santiago de Compostela.
ToLEdo
576-725, 1516-1561
This swashbuckling city has been the capital of Spain at two very important moments in its history. The first was in the 6th century, when King Liuvigild moved the court to Toledo, locating political power at the epicentre of the Iberian peninsula for the first time in its history. The second, in the 16th century, saw Charles I of Spain and V of Germany establish Toledo as the capital of his considerable empire. And so it remained until 1561, when the honour went to Madrid.
VaLLadoLId 1601-1606
kingdom.
MadrId 1561-present day (with breaks) From this moment the accelerated growth of this Although Philip II took the Spanish city began, although for the court to Madrid in 1561, it was a next three centuries the Cortes generation later under his son Philip parliament moved around lll that it became the official capital somewhat, with the seat of of both Spain and Portugal. power passing to different citChosen primarily for its geograph- ies including Valladolid, Cadiz, ical location in the heart of the Sevilla, Valencia and Burgos. Iberian Peninsula, its new status In 1939, the capital of Spain transformed the history of what was returned to Madrid on a permapreviously just one more city in the nent basis.
With a history stretching back a thousand years, the city has always been a point of reference, especially in the Middle Ages. But the key turning point for Valladolid came in 1601, when the Duke of Lerma, Philip III’s favourite advisor, succeeded in transferring the Court of Madrid to this Castilian city. Although short and sweet, this unexpected royal interval brought the city its moment of maximum splendour. Nowadays Valladolid is known as a major industrial and commercial centre, but it has an impressive architectural legacy laid out in a number of excellent museums. One is dedicated to the life of the great explorer Christopher Columbus who died in Valladolid in 1506.
When the Roman Empire collapsed, its Spanish territories fell into the hands of the Germanic Visigoths who made Barcino, as it was then known, capital of their kingdom. Extensive archaeological excavations from this important period can be found in the basement of Barcelona’s Museu d’Història de la Ciutat, giving a glimpse into its glorious past. The city remained a provincial capital after King Liuvigild moved the Visigoth court to Toledo in 576. During the Spanish Civil War Barcelona enjoyed a second brief fling as capital of the Republic of Spain from November 1937 until January 1939.
OP QUICK CROSSWORD
OP S UDOKU
Across
7 Assassinated (5,3) 8 Coarse file (4) 9 Stirred the embers (5) 10 Doubting Thomas (7) 12 Initial impression
(5,7)
14 Stasi milling about sources of unwanted letters (7,5) 17 To a much greater degree (3,4) 19 Rows (5) 21 Like a wet noodle (4) 22 Duke or baron (8) Down
1 Hush money (3-3) 2 Introduction to a specialist, perhaps (8) 3 Weep (3) 4 Self-detrimental syndrome (9) 5 Stagehand (4) 6 One of Handel’s “Messiah” sources (6) 11 Wandering worker
(9)
13 Not appropriate (8) 15 “All the perfumes of --- will not sweeten this little hand” (Shakespeare, “Macbeth”) (6) 16 Resident of Aleppo
(6)
18 Charts (4) 20 Rocket killer (1-1,1)
