The fear of going out at night

Police statistics and citizens’ perceptions are moving in different directions. That contradiction is the central point of the article.

In many towns across inland Catalonia, immigration has increased, especially from North Africa. The changing appearance of historic centers has coincided with urban deterioration that the article attributes to poor management by successive administrations. The presence of immigrants has been unfairly associated with insecurity and neighborhood decline, creating fertile ground for xenophobic parties seeking to become governing alternatives.

Manresa offers a clear example. Some residents fear going out at night and organize WhatsApp groups so women do not walk alone at certain hours. The city has drawn national attention after the killing of Carles Vilajosana, a 45-year-old man from Castellnou de Bages who was highly regarded by his neighbors. The article says two young Catalans were arrested in connection with his death.

From the outset, social media and xenophobic parties promoted the claim that the suspects were unaccompanied migrant minors. Those parties called a protest outside the city hall to stigmatize immigrants. Later clarifications from Catalonia’s interior minister, Núria Parlón, did not stop what the article describes as a racist and simplistic narrative online.

The Catalan government has launched a neighborhood plan to address urban problems, while the Mossos d’Esquadra have increased their presence. The article argues that more remains to be done, especially when ordinary crimes are magnified because the alleged perpetrators are immigrants, seen as “the others.” Representatives of Manresa’s Islamic community attended Vilajosana’s funeral in solidarity, but mistrust will be difficult to overcome while political interests encourage blaming immigration for the country’s problems.

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the others