Anti-immigrant riots left 80 injured last week. The murder of a Spanish woman, allegedly by a mentally ill Moroccan, touched off the unrest Feb. 5. Gangs of Spaniards attacked immigrants, fire-bombed their homes, and destroyed local businesses either run by or known to serve foreigners. Afterward, terrified immigrants, including Mr. Chahabar, went on strike until Feb. 14 to demand significant improvements in living conditions. The government responded by promising to legalize at least 5,000 workers and to fund better housing for them.
Problems remain, however.
The right-wing mayor of El Ejido yesterday refused to allow the Red Cross to build a camp for Moroccans who lost their homes. Lawyers from SOS Racism, a nongovernmental group with offices across Spain, are trying to help the Moroccans with legal advice, but complain that the real problem is a failure to integrate. In most of the country, foreigners rarely top 1 or 2 percent of the population. In Almeria, however, they make up a quarter of the populace in some towns. Spain is not the only European country to wrestle with a rise in antiforeigner sentiments.