Barcelona housing concerns surge as political claims face scrutiny

In Barcelona, concerns regarding housing access have surged by 240% over the last four years, according to the latest Municipal Services Survey conducted by the City Council. While housing was a major concern for 6.7% of respondents in 2022, it now affects 23% of residents, making it the most significant issue in the city, narrowly trailing insecurity (23.8%). Over a ten-year period since 2016, the reported concern for housing access has increased by more than 1,000%.

Separately, in the Catalan Parliament, Vox Secretary General Ignacio Garriga claimed that Catalonia is seeing an increase in forced marriages, sexual assaults, female genital mutilation, and the use of the burqa and niqab due to immigration. However, experts note these claims are unprovable. Data from the Mossos d’Esquadra reflect reported cases rather than total occurrences, and there is no statistical evidence linking immigration to higher rates of sexual aggression or specific religious garments in the region.