For five months, Abdoulaye* has been living at the Alcalá de Henares migrant reception center near Madrid. The limitations on his freedom and lack of access to medical care have taken a heavy toll on the young man’s well-being.
Abdoulaye* set sail from the West African coast and reached the Spanish island of El Hierro at the end of July 2024. He still has trouble talking about the crossing. A few weeks following his arrival authorities transferred him to the Alcalá de Henares migrant reception center, northeast of Madrid. The former student dreamed of building his life in Europe. He is currently waiting to be able to apply for asylum and leave the center where he says he is "suffocating".
"We are suffering here with my comrades. I never thought it would be so complicated in Spain. When I came to the center, I signed some papers and they told me: 'You will stay for three months maximum'. It is clear that this promise has not been kept. I want to file my asylum application in this country and move on. Yet it hasn’t been possible for the moment.
I have asked the center's association several times to see the authorities to assemble my file. Each time, I am told that it will not happen. They say: 'It is because of the Ministry [of the Interior]. It is up to them to organize the meeting'.
The Alcalá de Henares center is a former military barracks, with a capacity of 1,500. It is managed by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, but the Accem association acts as an intermediary between the authorities and the migrants for various services, whether administrative or health-related.
We have no choice, we depend on the NGO to begin our [asylum] procedure. I don't understand where this problem comes from.
In addition, I no longer receive any money. When we arrived, we were paid 50 euros per month, for a maximum of three months. Beyond this period, you receive nothing. So I am completely stuck.
'It's better not to get sick'
The other big problem in this center is access to health care. I tell you, it's better not to get sick because they don't take care of you. I was feeling sick just before Christmas so I asked to see a doctor. Except it was the day before the weekend, and on those days, there is no medical team. I finally had an appointment five days later. My case was not serious and I was able to wait. It's not the case for everyone.
Diallo Sissoko, a Malian national, died on October 21 in the Alcalá de Henares center. He succumbed to a pulmonary embolism, according to Accem. The young man suffered a "long period of agony," before dying, reported the newspaper El Pais. He complained of intense pain for six days, which was only treated with painkillers.
I was there when the Malian died. I have been afraid since then because I know if something serious happens to me, they won't take care of me.
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The restrictions on freedom also weigh down on me. You can go outside, but you have to be back for every meal, and inside by 9 pm at the latest. Okay, I’m lucky to have a roof over my head. But this is not an easy environment to live in on a daily basis. Especially when you have no prospects for the future, like me now. I can't make any plans, and it's getting me down.
The newspaper El Mundo in January 2024 shared personal accounts from exiles from the Alcalá de Henares center. According to their accounts, it was "worse than a prison".
"We are still locked up here, even though we want to go out and study Spanish to earn a living," said one exile. "You are sick, you say you have to see a doctor and they tell you 'tomorrow'. The next day, they tell you 'tomorrow' again... And so on," said another.
'I want to move on'
We all feel frustrated and helpless here, but we help each other.
My dream is to be able to continue my studies. I was working toward a master's degree in my country. I liked what I was doing, but I had to leave everything behind. I no longer prefer to think about my problems today. I want to forget the past and move on. Between my troubles at home and the sea crossing, I wasn't doing very well during my first few weeks in Spain.
Yet now, I feel better. I'm just waiting to start my new life."
*Abdoulaye's first name has been changed and his country of origin was not mentioned upon his request to protect his anonymity.
Accem was unable to answer our questions when we contacted them. The Spanish Ministry of the Interior, for its part, did not respond to our requests.
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