the conflicting Spanish migration policies in response to COVID-19
As Spain shut down all of its detention centers in March, amidst the pandemic, migrants suddenly found themselves on the streets of a country transformed by the virus. While some had to fend for themselves, others found refuge in government-funded houses that provide temporary shelter, food, Spanish classes and legal support to help migrants navigate the country’s bureaucratic maze to access services. Reporters Majo Sicar and Laura Herrero explore the impact of these houses for migrants and the contradictions of a government that on one hand imprisons and deports migrants in record numbers, and on the other aims to integrate them.