The institution aims to clarify how the removal of belongings from people on the streets is managed and whether affected individuals and the Street Teams working with them are notified in advance.
Specific data has been requested on interventions carried out in the last six months, the number of people affected, and the available accommodation options for those without housing.
“"Concern about a possible violation of fundamental rights of these individuals by expelling them from public spaces where they sleep, without offering alternatives and removing their personal belongings without prior notice, including documentation and medication."
This request follows a journalistic report suggesting municipal orders to remove belongings without prior notice, and after receiving complaints from municipal workers and their representative union section.
For his part, the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has reiterated that the municipal protocol does not include the destruction of personal belongings, arguing that cardboard boxes are not considered personal items and may pose a health risk.
Almeida stated that the council scrupulously respects the rights of homeless people, highlighting the increase in shelter places and social workers in the city. He insisted that no personal belongings are discarded, unless cardboard boxes are identified as such.
The mayor concluded by assuring that the Madrid City Council and its Social Services act with full respect for the dignity of individuals, especially those in vulnerable situations.
