Spanish authorities give in to pressures of Moroccan, Algerian illegal immigrants on hunger strike

Spanish authorities have agreed to look into the case of a group of 110 Moroccan and Algerian illegal immigrants in Spain who are observing since last Friday an unlimited hunger strike in Cuenca (250 km south of Madrid) to support their claims for legal stay documents.

The local authorities said they would speed up the study of the protesters applications for work permits and legal stay documents. The protesters had staged a 100-km -long march before they went on hunger strike.

Authorities asked the competent services to speed up administrative procedures and handle the applications collectively to enable the group be recruited in the busy garlic harvest season.

Their protest movement was meant to express anger at an authorization given by the mayor of the locality of Las Pedroneras to fascist and neo-nazi groups to hold a protest movement claiming the expulsion of foreigners.

The immigrants are supported by ngo's, the media and tacitly by the local garlic farmers.