If we walk on the street and we see plenty of policemen arresting people, that does not always mean that we have bounced into an operation to arrest dangerous criminals. It may well be a routine mass control based on criteria that have to do with ethnic appearance. This is what police in Spain do in order to net immigrants without valid residence papers, take them into detention centers and prepare for their expulsion.
We must remember that being without a residence permit is not a criminal offence, but a mere administrative fault. According to the law, it is illegal to detain and harass a person because of the color of his/her skin. And massive identity controls is a measure usually reserved for netting alleged dangerous criminals.
Nevertheless, this is happening in Spain. The police walk into internet cafes, bars and discos and separates blacks and whites. They harass citizens because of their ethnic features and stop them at places where they go to take means of transport, to attend lessons, to process documents or to pray.
If you see this happening don’t remain idle. You can approach the police and tell them politely that massive controls is a measure reserved for curbing serious crime. You can also file a complaint on the spot by calling emergency hotline of Defensor del Pueblo (914 327 900) so that they can understand what is taking place. You can also call the media and if you are lucky they may arrive in time with their cameras to take photos and TV footage. Act now.