Barcelona and other cities throughout Spain are a popular destination for people escaping dire living conditions and poverty, often from neighbouring countries in Northern Africa.
Impoverished, in search of work and the dreams of a better future, the thought of earning money in Europe is often their last resort. If they are fortunate enough to survive the perilous journey, often via Morocco, when they arrive they are in desperate need for housing and with little or no money they are often forced to squat in abandoned warehouses and evicted houses.
Insufficient visas, an economic recession and a general resentment towards illegal immigration from the local Spanish population have made for an ever hostile environment as the authorities forcibly remove squatters from buildings and abandoned warehouses throughout Spain.
This photo essay shows their story and the ensuing eviction from a squat in Barcelona.
