In Madrid, on Tuesday morning, police foiled an attempt by a group of migrants to enter the Gambian embassy after hours of waiting in line for passports. The incident occurred around 10:00 a.m. on Hernandez Iglesias Street in the Ciudad Lineal district, where dozens of people had spent the night outside the building, hoping to apply for or renew their documents.
According to witnesses, tensions arose after an embassy staff member announced that there were no available slots for appointments. Some of those waiting tried to climb over the fence to get inside. Officers from the National Police’s riot control unit arrived at the scene. No one was injured or detained during the incident.
Police reported that the conflict was triggered by a dispute over queue numbers, which escalated into a scuffle. Representatives of the Gambian embassy, in turn, stated that the situation does not go beyond the typical queues associated with issuing and renewing passports for the country’s citizens. They say the influx is due to the fact that a batch of passports arrives only once every three months, and appointments are available only on limited days each month.
Social organizations working with the Gambian diaspora point to serious difficulties in obtaining documents. According to them, many people are unable to book appointments for weeks, and some are told there are no application forms available. There have been cases where people spend the night outside the embassy or pay the state fee but do not receive their passport on time.
The situation is aggravated by a large-scale campaign to legalize undocumented foreigners, initiated by the Spanish government. According to activists, this is causing longer lines and increased tension at consular offices. Similar issues with access to services and conflicts in queues are being reported in other cities across the country, recalling the recent transport disputes in Barcelona, where restrictions on intercity buses sparked protests from residents and carriers — more details on this can be found in the article about new restrictions for buses in downtown Barcelona.
The Gambian Embassy emphasizes that the current lines are not related to issuing vulnerability certificates or the legalization process, but concern passport matters only. Nevertheless, according to civil platforms, the problem of accessing documents persists and requires attention at the level of diplomatic and migration authorities.
