Easter warning

BRITS heading to Spain over Easter and summer have been warned to expect long passport queues.

Last weekend over 1,000 passengers were held up at passport control at Terminals 1 and 4 at Madrid airport whilst trying to make connecting flights, causing disruption and missed flights.

The delays are being blamed on a lack of police to deal with the extra passport checks for Brits needed since Brexit.

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.

Voted top expat paper in Spain OPINION

Being human

THE old saying is that ‘not all heroes wear capes’, but in fact they often have very little in common whatsoever. What heroes usually share is a willingness to put themselves at risk to help others and do what needs doing. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, who you are or how you got here.

Senegalese asylum applicant Mamadou had to brave his own seaborne traumas on a death-defying 10-day raft journey to the Canary Islands.

Having done so, he could be forgiven for keeping a low profile.

But when he saw someone in need he threw caution to the winds and, gambling on his ‘average’ swimming skills, threw himself into the sea to pull a 45-year-old Spanish man to safety - the ultimate heroism.

And to think his asylum application might still be rejected.

Thomas Barnes is a Spanish-born Brit and lifelong Costa del Sol resident who did not hesitate to go into a burning building.

He pulled one struggling person out but tragically could not rescue the other.

But it goes to show; when the chips are down, we’re all just humans who need to help one another.

Hands off

PROTESTORS against giant solar macro projects in Setenil on Saturday chanted: ‘Yes to renewables, but not here’.

Their message is simple, and deserves to be heard and considered.

We are not against renewable energy projects, but developing them on such a huge scale in the picturesque valleys of Serrania de Ronda risks destroying its beauty and reputation.

There is already enough overdevelopment occurring in the south of Spain, with huge property developments completely destroying the look of some parts of the coastline.

It feels as if this overdevelopment is now moving inland, and the Serrania de Ronda is similarly facing threats of destruction to its charm and character.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Anthony Piovesan anthony@theolivepress.es

Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es

John Culatto

ADMIN Sandra Aviles Diaz (+34) 951 273 575 admin@ theolivepress.es