Espanyol Star Calls for Deportation of Criminal Migrants, Sparks Immigration Debate

– byPrince · 2 min read
Espanyol Star Calls for Deportation of Criminal Migrants, Sparks Immigration Debate

The Moroccan gem of Espanyol, Omar El Hilali, spoke out on a sensitive issue: immigration and the discrimination suffered by migrants in Spain. The young striker calls for the forced repatriation of criminal migrants.

Hailing from a modest family, Omar grew up in the Santa Eulalia neighborhood of L’Hospitalet, Barcelona. In an interview with Betevé, the young player denounces the stigmatization of migrants of certain nationalities and social classes in Spain. "My mother was in a tent with my nephew and she was accused of stealing, and when I arrived and they saw it was my mother, they changed their story and apologized to her," he confides. "It’s not because some migrants are criminals that we’re all going to be treated that way," he fumes.

The Espanyol gem calls for a distinction to be made and for migrants to be respected. "Most of the people who come here, whether from Morocco or Romania, come to work and earn a living. But there is a minority who do not come with this goal and who cause harm to everyone," he clarifies. For the Moroccan international, the authorities must be firmer. "I don’t know what the laws provide, but those who have not come to earn a living or seize opportunities must be sent back to their country."

And he insists: "People who don’t know I’m a footballer look at me askance, as if I had committed 40 crimes. And that hurts me. I think it would be very easy to send back the people who don’t come to work to their country of origin, anything." These remarks have sparked a lively controversy.

The Espanyol player is known for his outspokenness and controversial reactions. Two seasons ago, in the second division, he had interrupted a match in Cartagena after hearing supporters in the stands hurl racist insults at him. "My opinion is that Spain is not a racist country. My parents came from Morocco and have never experienced racism. It is a very welcoming country for foreigners. But it is true that if someone comes from abroad to commit a crime instead of working, this kind of person tarnishes the image of an entire country," he said in an interview with La Vanguardia in 2024.