Homelessness in Canary Islands Airports Reaches Critical Levels
Nearly 500 people who had been sleeping at Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport have been relocated to a shelter provided by the city council. However, in the Canary Islands—where between 50 and 200 homeless individuals spend their nights in airports, mostly at Gran Canaria and Tenerife South—no solution has been implemented. As Aena stated in a recent release, these facilities are “in no way suitable for overnight stays.”
Airports as Makeshift Shelters
Across Spain, major airports in Madrid, Barcelona, Palma, and the Canary Islands have become temporary shelters for those left homeless after losing jobs or relying on insufficient social aid. The situation has worsened over the years due to soaring housing prices. While Madrid has taken action by closing Terminal 4 to overnight stays—citing the availability of a city-run shelter in the Latina district—the Canary Islands remain without alternatives.
Calls for Equal Treatment
José María Mañaricua, president of Las Palmas’ hotel association, criticizes the disparity: “Madrid can’t be the exception. Other regions have the same rights as Barajas Airport.” Aniceto Javier Armas, a senator from the Agrupación Herreña Independiente (AHI), has been actively addressing the issue. After raising questions in the Spanish Senate earlier this year, he plans to revisit the topic, arguing that Madrid’s situation validates concerns about airports nationwide.
Lack of Official Data and Accountability
Armas emphasizes that airports are not meant for long-term habitation and calls for streamlined processes to connect homeless individuals with regional and municipal services—including Aena, which he says shares responsibility. He warns that the public entity managing Spain’s airports may be downplaying the crisis, as no official figures exist on the number of people affected. The counting process is further complicated by unregistered foreign nationals and those without family support networks.
A Longstanding Issue Ignored
Mañaricua notes that this is not a new problem. “Before the pandemic, 80 people were already sleeping at Gran Canaria Airport,” he says, criticizing the delayed response. “It seems this only matters when it happens in Madrid.” While Armas remains hopeful that Madrid’s actions could set a precedent, the Canary Islands continue to wait for solutions.
