Moroccan Family of Six Children Evicted in Spain as Landlord Sought His Only Apartment
In Spain, a Moroccan family with six children had to leave their home in Vitoria. The landlord, who lives with his family in a single room, was seeking to reclaim his only apartment. The eviction also sparked controversy over €2,454 in social benefits.
Since 2018, El Mohtar and his family had rented an apartment in the Sansomendi neighborhood. The father says he always paid his rent. But despite a year of searching, including in neighboring towns, he had found no other place to live. His son asked him where they would go after the eviction, he told Cadena SER.
The landlord, meanwhile, lived in a single room with his partner and their young child. Since 2021, he had been trying to reclaim the apartment, his only property, so his family could move in, EITB reports.
On Friday, October 23, the eviction went ahead despite a turnout of hundreds of protesters, including young people from nearby schools. The Basque police intervention led to clashes and two arrests.
€2,454 in benefits: a disputed figure
The case also sparked controversy over social benefits, notably amplified by Badalona mayor Xavier García Albiol. The newspaper El Correo, citing a municipal report, put the household’s benefits at €2,454 a month: minimum income, housing assistance and benefits related to the children.
The housing advocacy union disputes this calculation. Asked by Newtral, the city said it had provided assistance but did not disclose an individual amount. The fact-checking outlet was unable to establish that the family actually received the reported €2,454.
In its October 23 statement, the city said it had offered emergency accommodation, which was initially refused. The parents and their six children ultimately spent the weekend in a municipal center intended mainly for adults, Gasteiz Hoy reports.
On October 26, this temporary facility was still their only accommodation option as they continued searching for an apartment to rent.
