Warning for Brits over bedbugs and fleas at top Spanish tourist airports as they're overrun by homeless camps
BRITS are being warned about filthy conditions at major Spanish airports which have been infested by insects and overrun by rough sleepers.
The terminals - including on the Costa del Sol - have been urged to clean up their acts, after Spain's biggest airport had to be fumigated for bed bugs last week.
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At Barajas airport in Madrid, a staggering 400 people are reportedly sleeping rough - with many going out to work in the day and returning each night to sleep.
And the shocking sight is being replicated across the country - everywhere from the mainland to holiday islands.
Malaga airport and Palma, on Mallorca, are also dealing with influxes of rough sleepers, which iare sparking both humanitarian concerns and health and safety fears.
Last week, Madrid airport had to be fumigated to deal with a bed bug infestation.
A pest-control company was called in to blast hallways, furniture, and even check-in belts for bedbugs, ticks, and cockroaches.
Airport workers reported the bites appearing on their skin, leading to the airport's management to hire pest control.
Staff at Malaga airport have also reported being bitten by fleas and bed bugs - though the authorities deny there is a problem there.
Workers say they have seen the insects "climbing up the walls" near the departure gates used by millions of Brits each year and that they use insect repellent before work.
Spain's Workers' Union [CCOO] is leading a call for the airports to urgently address the issue of homelessness, because they say both staff and passengers are being exposed to unsanitary and dangerous conditions.
The CCOO warned of "the serious situation [...] due to the continued and growing presence of homeless people in various areas [...] especially in the passenger terminals and transit areas" at Malaga airport.
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The union said it has received complaints from workers in "cleaning, security, handling, customer service, shops, and catering" roles.
The list of problems caused by homelessness includes "unsanitary conditions, persistent smells, the use of restrooms as overnight areas, accumulation of belongings and occasional aggression", it said.
It warned the crisis poses a risk to health and "creates an environment of tension and insecurity" that makes normal operations impossible.
The union recognises that homelessness is a deep-seated social problem, but demanded that the company urgently fulfils its responsibility to protect the health and safety of its staff and airport users.
The airport operator, Aena, said it is in "permanent and coordinated contact with the local and regional public authorities that have administrative powers in matters of social affairs and who are aware of the situation of the homeless people who spend the night at the airport".
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Their response continued: "Airports are designed and equipped exclusively for passenger traffic and, therefore, are not prepared for people to live there.
"Local and regional public authorities are aware of this reality and are working to improve the situation of homeless people."
The company added: "Aena has implemented all necessary measures to ensure the well-being of passengers and airport workers, within its powers."
Around 70 people are reported to be sleeping homeless each night in Malaga airport - the vast majority in the arrivals hall.
Antonio González, from the General Workers' Union [UGT] said: "There have been some tense moments with security and some workers, but nothing like what's happening in Madrid.
"Things get a bit complicated between 2am and 5am in the morning, when the last flights arrive. Troubled and repeat offenders are monitored by security personnel and cameras."
Mallorca's main airport, Son Sant Joan, has also reported a sharp increase in homeless people living both inside the terminal and in the car-park.
Private security officers have been drafted in to keep them away from the main arrival and departure areas, and some of the doors are being locked at night.
Shops inside the airport have reported trouble and thefts linked to the homeless population, causing some to be evicted.
Matters have escalated in some cases, with complaints leading to restraining orders against certain people.
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