lynnxa

they all registered as resident, so weren't prosecuted - but they might never have done so if the Guardia hadn't turned up at their doors & scared the bejeezus out of them - yes - they were scared....

my point is not that people are being prosecuted but that checks are being done, and that the Guardia are chasing up those who don't have their papers in order

mikelincs

We had the policia local knocking on our door when we first moved into our house in Spain because the previous owners had never told them they were leaving, the nice policeman just asked us if <previous owners name> lived there, we said NO, and everything was OK, our banks also checked up, at the first anniversary of being there, as to whether we were now residents, we showed them our residencia, and were immediately give a residents account with the benefits that gave.
I can't see why anyone would want to live unregistered when it costs so little and can save you so much in the way of hassle. We, even though only receiving pensions, also did our Spanish tax returns, I think we paid 60c.

scrubbedexpat095

You know you are not the first to speak of road blocks etc. and it amazes me! I sometimes think that a lot of people on this forum live in a different Spain to me ;-)

I've lived and worked here (Madrid) for over 20 years and the only interaction I've ever had with the GC/Policia was when my wife's passport was nicked!

I've never ever been asked, when out and about, for my identification. Maybe its because I dont drive :-)

cricketman

No neither have I

But I have seen the checkpoints on the CDS, the police do check, especially those people with a British numberplate on their car. The Costas are full of people who are doing something or another illegally

HBG

Because of my involvement with expat organisations I've been involved with Spanish law enforcement when our members are subjected to crime.

The only document the authorities want to see is the victim's passport, I've never known their residential status to be questioned. The passport answers all the questions, they are legal EU citizens and that's what matters.

scrubbedexpat095

Well in my opinion if they discover any expats doing things illegally then they should be deported ASAP.

Actually being a bit of an extremist ;-) I personally would deport any exat who came here just for the climate (Tongue in cheek here a bit)

HBG

Sorry, Cman, when you wrote of people doing things illegally on the Costas, it reminded me of this article in El Pais.

http://elpais.com/elpais/2013/03/25/...15_622551.html

They certainly are.

amideislas

I presume you have Spanish ID and up-to-date ITV, so usually that's all you have to show, and they wave you on by (presuming they decide there's no reason to search your car). If you don't have Spanish ID, things can become more complicated.

What I do know is that it's a regular occurrence here (in winter). Honestly, it's completely normal here and expected by everyone. Right now, there is a roadblock set up on the roundabout entering the town - several cars pulled over and being searched. I just drove through it, but they didn't stop me this time.

I have read that the EU considers this activity illegal, but since when has the Balearic government embraced EU rules? "We are an autonomous community and recognise our own laws" a GC officer once told me.

Back around 2009 they "mistakenly" seized the car of some high-ranking EU official, presumably because he had Belgian plates and didn't have the right "papers" in his possession at that moment, and so he took the matter back to Brussels and the EU filed a complaint with Madrid, and as a result they are a lot more careful now.

For example, I no longer see gruas sitting by the roadblocks anymore (I remember at times they'd have a line of taxis and 4 or 5 gruas waiting to tow seized cars away - like an assembly line), so they must not be seizing cars nearly as often. Still, it was good business for the local gruas and taxis. €240 per tow (paid for by the victim), and guaranteed business for them.

Still, I find it all to be a wholly unnecessary inconvenience, and really, rather gestapo-like.The good news is that this should be about the last of it until after the tourist season. Soon, they'll all be legitimate tourists, so it will only be a waste of the Guardistapo's time and only serve to piss off their main source of income.

jackytoo

My neighbour's Son was in the GC. He told us they don't have the will or resources to chase up those not reistered or driving British cars...unless they are "on watch" or caught for a criminal offence. Then they throw the book at them. Many on the CDS aren't actually illegal anyway as I know a lot who just drive down for the winter months.

I sometimes used to drop Grandson at the Nursery part of the English International College. Lots of Brits in posh Brit reg cars dropping off 2 or 3 kids. Often wondered where they got their money from, some of them a bit rough round the edges, didn't seem to do any work. One morning the GC turned up with 3 cars, blocked the car park and began a check on all the Brit car. Don't know what happened but I suspect there was something more behind it than just running illegal cars.

cricketman

From what I saw when I was down there, the Brits in the nice UK reg cars were doing boilerhouse phoning scams, dodgy timescale or drugs running

Yes they are the kind of people you will mix with at the private British schools down there

jojojojojo

There are road blocks everywhere. The guardia are now having to pretty much self fund, so any excuse they can find for prosecuting they will. Road blocks are a common, everyday occurrence. I was in Nerja for two weeks a while ago and during that period, I was stopped once and drove thru at least 7 road blocks!!! The guardia like to sit at roundabouts!!

Jo xxx

Pocaloca

That's nothing new though. It happens away from tourist/expat areas too. There are an estimated five million drivers without insurance or a valid licence in this country and it's their job to catch them!

amideislas

It's not who they rightly catch that bothers me.

It's all the ones who have done everything right and are perfectly legal, yet are subjected to the same nonsense and humiliation - and even possible seizure of property if they don't happen to have the right "paper" in their possession at that moment.

If you tell people living in other EU countries that roadblocks and random document checks and searches are "normal", most will assume that you've had a bit too much sunshine and sangria. Really, it shouldn't be "normal".

I don't know. It all seems a bit too "gestapo" to me. And it begs the question if that is the expected norm now, what will they be able to do next? What is the next "limit" they can push?

Pocaloca

I get what you're saying. But it's not just Spain, is it?

Black people are 26 times more likely than whites to face stop and search

jackytoo

That article is over 2 years old and it's about London...not roadblocks! Understandable anyway seeing most of the crime there is black on black.

Roadblocks are very frequent on the CDS but i can see why they do it because of the high amount of drugs. Most Police stops I have seen is in La Linea. I was once pulled in at Estepona and they sent the dog into the car. I was also pulled driving away from a beach car park. When I put down the window he said sorry I thought you weren't wearing a seatbelt...no mention of 2 dogs loose in the back seat of the car