Undocumented Diabetic Migrant Struggles for Survival in Spain

Upon reaching adulthood, Abdoul decided to leave Morocco to join Spain via the Canary Islands, in order to build a better future for himself. Rescued on November 7th by emergency services, he stayed for 28 days in the Arguineguín detention center, before being housed in a hotel where the catering conditions were difficult.

After losing consciousness, he was taken to a health center where he was diagnosed with type II diabetes. In the process, he lost his mobile phone and the little money he had. "I fainted up to three times and no one cared about my health condition, nor provided me with the necessary medication," he laments.

After repeatedly requesting better treatment, Abdoul, unexpectedly, tested positive for Covid-19 without any apparent symptoms, and was then placed in quarantine for an abnormally long period.

Last month, a pipe burst flooded the new camp he was transferred to with sewage, forcing the staff to group them all in a single tent, in violation of the health protocol. Pushed to leave, he left the center with other residents, before asking to return. But the authorities of the center refused him, forcing him to return to living on the street. And that’s where he had a new diabetes crisis and was taken care of by the center.

Today, Abdoul controls his sugar consumption, regularly takes his tablets. If he were still on the street, his health problems could very well have cost him his life.