El País, August 17, 2010
The city of Almeria holds one of the harbours that witness each year the movement of migrants that cross the Mediterranean to visit their home countries during the Summer season – this is called “Operación Paso del Estrecho”. In the rehabilitation project of the harbour there was a parcel dedicated to the construction of a 5.600 square meters mosque, a hotel and improvements in the parking areas and road accesses. These were now taken out of the project. The City Mayor claims that the reality has changed and that migrants no longer stay for several days in Almeria as they may have done 10 years ago. On the other hand, the imam of Almeria claims the importance of maintaining the projected rehabilitation (that has been on hold for six years) and suggests that one of the reasons for the shortening of the stay in the city is the absence of these services.
