Spain's interior ministry has cleared the controversial Archidona prison (Malaga) that was reconverted two months ago into a temporary detention center for migrants. Most of the 557 foreigners held there, mainly Algerians, were repatriated.
The remaining 70 were transferred on Wednesday and Thursday to holding centers in Madrid and Barcelona, interior ministry sources were quoted as saying by local media.The Malaga II prison of Archidona, which had been completed but not yet used as a correctional facility, was converted as of November 20 into a hosting center in the midst of an emergency caused by mass landings on Spain's coasts over the past few months that led to the saturation of temporary hosting facilities for migrants, mainly in Murcia and Andalusia.
Detention center under fire
However, the center was harshly criticized by the Defender of the people, NGOs and human rights associations, bishops and Catholic charity caritas, as well as lawmakers as the detention of migrants is reportedly illegal under Spanish laws on foreigners. The government of Mariano Rajoy, through Interior Minister José Ignacio Zoido, insisted that it was a ''solution to confront an emergency'' - backed by a judicial order - and to deal with the arrival of migrants, mainly from Algeria, on Andalusia's coast.
Alleged suicide led to jail evacuation
The alleged suicide of Mohamed Bouderbalal, a 36-year-old Algerian without documents who was found hanged in his cell on December 29, accelerated the evacuation of the prison. An investigation into the immigrant's death has been opened by police while an ''independent and thorough'' investigation has been requested on January 3 by his brother Ahmed who does not believe that his brother died by suicide, which was confirmed by the autopsy, according to the interior ministry.The jail in mid-December was at the center of protests and incidents after authorities started expelling Algerians detained there and over the fact that migrants protested they were given too little food.