Tensions are once again at boiling point following the expulsion of a troublemaking immigrant from a Guardamar hostel.
According to the Spanish press, a man who was staying at the Xplorer Costa Blanca (formerly Maristas just off the N332 between Guardamar and La Marina) was previously isolated in the centre due to his alleged aggressive behaviour.
As his conduct deteriorated, the authorities at the facility decided to expel him. However, just a few hours later, the migrant returned to the hostel in an obvious state of nervousness, making it necessary for the staff to notify the security forces. Shortly afterwards, three patrols of the Civil Guard and a unit of the Local Police arrived at the scene.
According to bystanders the individual adopted a violent attitude that led to his arrest for alleged disobedience. However, the incident quickly escalated when around thirty migrants from the centre surrounded the police vehicles in an attempt to free the detainee, generating moments of increased tension.
Finally, the Civil Guard, with the support of the Local Police, were able to disperse the crowd and secure the situation.
The migrant was arrested, appearing before the courts on Wednesday to answer the charges. However, a considerable number of migrants showed up at the Guardia Civil headquarters that same morning to demand explanations. Fortunately, the matter was resolved without any further incident.
This episode adds to a series of violent incidents that have shaken Guardamar in recent months.
On July 14, a 19-year-old man was brutally attacked in a pub in the centre, in an incident that also included assaults on several women present in the premises. Days before, on May 7, a local police officer was threatened with a knife during the arrest of a migrant expelled from one of the hotels where he was being accommodated. These events accelerated the decision to move the refugees to a new site on the outskirts of the town, at the former Maristas Centre, where the Xplorer Costa Blanca is now located.
