Mercenaries and fines: the debate over who guards Spain's borders
Mercenaries, fines for officers and criminal reform: the debate over border control in Spain
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Mercenaries and fines: the border left without Guardia Civil
The premise is uncomfortable: if we accept that the Guardia Civil (Spain's civil guard police force) cannot cope at the borders, the next question is who should take over. The answers range from the radical to the bureaucratic: hiring private military companies, making irregular entry a crime, or fining an officer one euro for every migrant who crosses undetected.
Privatisation has precedents, but paying for hot expulsions clashes with the rule of law. The economic incentive route sounds more technical, but also more perverse: the same logic that rewards the officer turns him into a fine collector. In between lies the suspicion that the problem is not the personnel, but the orders they receive.
The conversation reveals growing distrust of the institutional mechanisms of migration control. If the solution lies in privatising legitimate violence or in economic deterrence tools, Spain still has no answer. The question is whether anyone will look for one with clean hands.
The premise is uncomfortable: if we accept that the Guardia Civil (Spain's civil guard police force) cannot cope at the borders, the next question is who should take over. The answers range from the radical to the bureaucratic: hiring private military companies, making irregular entry a crime, or fining an officer one euro for every migrant who crosses undetected.
Privatisation has precedents, but paying for hot expulsions clashes with the rule of law. The economic incentive route sounds more technical, but also more perverse: the same logic that rewards the officer turns him into a fine collector. In between lies the suspicion that the problem is not the personnel, but the orders they receive.
The conversation reveals growing distrust of the institutional mechanisms of migration control. If the solution lies in privatising legitimate violence or in economic deterrence tools, Spain still has no answer. The question is whether anyone will look for one with clean hands.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (12 replies).
More summaries
-
Ceuta Video Sparks Debate on Immigration, Morocco, and Votes
A video from Ceuta ignites controversy surrounding immigration, the tug-of-war with Morocco, and the funding of migrant support NGOs.
-
Spanish driver flees Civil Guard on foot, officer falls
A driver fled a checkpoint in Gran Canaria, causing an officer to fall. The video reignites debate over police salaries.
-
Civil Guard members call Belarra irresponsible over neo-fascist claims
Civil Guard officers deem Ione Belarra's accusation that the force is infiltrated by neo-fascists irresponsible. A reaction from the Director General is awaited.
-
Código 10 publishes photos against PSOE: the scandal that wasn't
Código 10 releases allegedly compromising photos of a Socialist official. The expected political earthquake fizzles out as PSOE proves...
-
Too Many Life Options vs the Quiet Certainty of Choosing Right in Scarcity
An abundance of life options does not guarantee a better choice. In scarcity, a Sabina record was enough to feel sure you had chosen right. Come in and compare.
-
Galicia sells off its industry: from Avícola Tratante to Aludec
Avícola Tratante, Aludec, Ochoa, Martínez Otero: foreign capital is buying up Galician companies; forum users point to the lack of generational succession