Crime Moderate Risk Crime Rates Are Generally Low, but Petty Crime Remains the Most Frequent Form Visitors Experience
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Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 SPAIN Overall risk level High Reconsider travel Can be dangerous and may present unexpected security risks Travel is possible, but there is a potential for disruptions Overview Emergency Numbers Medical 61 Emergency 112 Upcoming Events 11 September 2021 - 12 September 2021 Moderate risk: Pro-independence march planned in Barcelona on 11 September Pro-Catalan independence activists called for a march from Plaça d'Urquinaona to the Parliament of Catalonia in Barcelona from 17:14 local time (15:14 GMT) on 11 September. The march will pass along Via Laietana, the Comissaria de la Policia Espanyola, Passeig d’Isabel II, Avinguda del Marquès de l’Argentera and Parc de la Ciutadella. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Spain 2 Travel Advisories Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Spain 3 Summary Spain is a High Risk destination: reconsider travel. High Risk locations can be dangerous and may present unexpected security risks. Travel is possible, but there is a potential for severe or widespread disruptions. Covid-19 High Risk The COVID-19 outbreak in Spain caused one of the highest number of deaths in Europe. In January 2021, the total number of cases in the country surpassed 2 million. While most restrictions have been eased following the end of the state of alarm in May 2021, thousands of new cases continue to be reported daily. Political Instability Moderate Risk Spain is a parliamentary democracy in the shape of constitutional monarchy. In January 2020, the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and left-wing Podemos started a new minority government following the November 2019 elections that saw the right-wing People's Party (PP) and the far-right Vox gain a significant number of seats. The election was the second vote to be held in a year, after polls in April 2019, also won by the PSOE, led to months of gridlock. Tensions between centralism and regionalism will remain an ongoing source of political tension. Conflict Low Risk Spain is not involved in any serious disputes with other states. Basque separatism no longer poses a threat of widespread conflict. The dispute over Catalan independence increased significantly in 2017, but there have been no serious confrontations beyond protest unrest in the autonomous region and they are unlikely to escalate into open conflict. Terrorism Moderate Risk The main threat of terrorism in the country comes from self-radicalised Islamist militants and individuals who have returned from fighting abroad for like-minded terrorist groups, including the Islamic State (IS). The significance of the threat was confirmed by the high-profile terrorist attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils in August 2017. Spanish security and intelligence services are highly trained, experienced and equipped to effectively prevent and respond to attacks. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Spain 4 Unrest Moderate Risk While some issue-specific strikes and demonstrations may involve low-level violence, most protests are peaceful. Unrest between Spaniards and immigrant communities is a possibility, but is usually contained in suburban areas. Occasional instances of violent football-related hooliganism can occur surrounding rivalry matches. Violent gate-crashing incidents have occured in past in Spain's North African coastal enclaves: Ceuta and Melilla. Crime Moderate Risk Crime rates are generally low, but petty crime remains the most frequent form visitors experience. Bag snatching and pickpocketing are very common in built-up areas, including metro stations, markets and tourist attractions, where foreign travellers and tourists can be an easy target. Infrequent muggings of travellers in urban centres and sexual assaults in nightspots have been reported. Security forces are effective, efficient and well trained. Natural and Environmental Low Risk Spain is located in a seismically active zone and minor tremors take place regularly. Flooding and wildfires, however, are the most common natural risk. Infrastructure can vary greatly, ranging from good or excellent standards in Catalonia or the Basque Country regions to suboptimal in poorer regions like Extremadura or Andalusia. Emergency response personnel are normally very well- trained and well-equipped to handle natural disasters. Health and Medical Low Risk Medical infrastructure is of high international standard throughout the country, and all healthcare professionals are highly trained; the majority of hospitals have multilingual staff. High-quality prescription drugs are widely available, and infectious diseases present little to no risk to travellers. Local Travel Low Risk The country has an excellent public transport network that includes boats, ferries, trains, subways, trams, taxis and buses, which are reliable and safe. Air travel is widely available and safe. Road network is extensive and generally well-maintained; speeding drivers are the biggest concern and cause a high number of accidents. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Spain 5 Political Overview : Moderate Risk The main threat to Spain's political stability are the fragmented party and electoral systems that are unable to return absolute majorities unless difficult and weak coalitions are formed. The difficulties of coalition building are exacerbated by Spain's asymmetric multi-national constitution, where different regions are recognised as parts of a multinational country and are given different levels of autonomy. In this perspective, after decades struggling with the Basque separatism, the main threat currently comes from the Catalan secession movement. Following an unconstitutional referendum on 1 October 2017, the regional government made a unilateral declaration of independence on 27 October 2017. Although this found no international support, it triggered the immediate invocation of article 155 of the constitution, which grants the central government power to suspend a regional autonomy when it does not comply with the constitution. The article – used for the first time in Spain’s history – was voted by all main parties in the Cortes and was crucial in restoring normalcy in Catalonia, despite the fact that the political stalemate has continued. Given Spain's divided history and multinational profile, tensions between centralism and regionalism will remain an ongoing source of political tension in the medium- and long-term, particularly when we look at the weakness of the new PSOE-Podemos ruling majority in the parliament. Other big challenges to political stability include the rise of far-right and neo-Franquist VOX, Islamist terrorism and youth unemployment – despite solid economic growth since 2015. There are no recent incidents Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Spain 6 Conflict : Low Risk Secession: The dispute over Catalan independence increased significantly in 2017, but there have been no serious confrontations beyond protest unrest in the autonomous region. Earlier, a nationalist political movement in support of an independent state for Catalonia gathered momentum in 2012 when a majority of the regional parliament based in Barcelona committed to a referendum for independence. Rooted in nationalist struggles going back decades, the modern movement was brought to the forefront following a 10 July 2010 demonstration that drew tens of thousands to the streets of Barcelona to protest a decision of the Spanish Constitutional Court to annul parts of the 2006 Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia. In December 2013, the Government of Catalonia announced a referendum on independence that would be held in November 2014. The government in Madrid declared the referendum illegal and vowed to block the referendum, which the Constitutional Court of Spain eventually did. However, on 1 October 2017, the Catalan government held a binding referendum vote and, based on the results, declared independence on 27 October before it was dissolved by the central government for violating the constitution with the declaration. Although pro-secession activists have a support reaching up to 40 percent of the Catalan voters and are very well organised, it is very unlikely, however, that developments in Catalonia will escalate to open conflict with the central government in Madrid, as the central government has moved rapidly to ensure the loyalty of the Catalan Mossos d’Esquadra regional police in Catalonia and also bring in reinforcements from other parts of the country. Basque separatism no longer poses a threat of widespread conflict. Riskline / Country Report / 29 August 2021 / Spain 7 Terrorism Islamist Terrorism: On 17 August 2017, at least 14 people were killed and over 80 others wounded in Barcelona by a van-ramming attack on La Rambla; the attacking driver then killed one more person in a carjacking while escaping. Several hours later, early on 18 August, another ramming attack with a different van took place on Avenida Diputació, Cambrils, Tarragona province. One civilian was killed and six other people were wounded, but police officers shot dead five terrorists who exited the van wielding knives and fake suicide belts. Both attacks were carried out by the same terror cell and claimed by the Islamic State (IS) terror group; four other members were arrested, while the Barcelona attack driver was later shot dead in Subirats municipality on 22 August. Police later discovered that the group had originally planned a complex triple car bomb attack targeting the Port of Barcelona, La Rambla and Sagrada