A group of individuals residing in the Temporary Immigrant Stay Center (CETI) in Melilla have reported institutional violence by private security personnel within the facility
On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, a group of 20 residents of the CETI in Melilla, including asylum seekers, exercised their fundamental rights by staging a protest at the entrance of the CETI to draw attention to the violence experienced within the center by private security guards from the company Clece.
A few days earlier, one of the CETI residents suffered an eye injury as a result of an attack by a security guard responsible for internal security at the facility. The individual reported being taken to a room where one of the guards punched them in the eye. Following this incident and their complaints to the center’s authorities, they decided to carry out a protest with banners demanding that the government take action regarding the situation. The case has been reported and is pending resolution in a Melilla Investigative Court.
It’s worth noting that this is the third case of violence involving security guards at the CETI in Melilla that has been reported in recent months. On January 10, 2022, a CETI resident reported that, after approaching the CETI’s administration building to inquire about when they would be transferred to mainland Spain and being denied this information, three private security guards from the Clece company immobilized them and subsequently beat them with a baton, causing injuries to their shoulder and neck.
Likewise, on January 17, 2022, another CETI resident reported having been injured by private security guards from the same company. They were denied entry to the facility without being informed of the reasons in a language they could understand. They were not allowed to speak with an interpreter. Afterward, they reported that several security agents restrained, beat, and immobilized them until the Civil Guard arrived, and they were taken to the police station.
The organizations undersigned in this statement request that the Ministry of Inclusion and Migration, in addition to the ongoing legal proceedings related to the three mentioned cases, conduct an internal investigation regarding the treatment provided by private security guards at the CETI to temporary residents. Clear protocols for the actions of private security guards should also be developed. Furthermore, it is essential to establish an effective channel through which temporary CETI residents can safely report any future incidents to the Ministry.
The private security sector can have various impacts on individuals’ rights, especially when performing surveillance and internal security duties in a public facility such as the CETI. Citizens’ rights must be safeguarded when they interact with both public law enforcement and private security services. To achieve this, it is essential for the government to ensure transparency in the rules and regulations governing the actions of private security personnel and the hiring of private security firms. Additionally, there is a critical need for oversight and penalties in cases of misconduct by agents in this field.
It should be noted that the lack of specific and detailed regulations within the CETI regarding its internal regime allows for potential arbitrariness that could lead to tense or even institutionally violent situations. It is urgent that specific, clear, and comprehensive regulations regarding the internal regime of CETI facilities are approved and published, ensuring the protection of the fundamental rights of individuals within these centers.