Spain’s ‘nice police’ protect immigrants from living in fear

 

August 22, 2014

Spain is giving a new definition to the word police: nice. These particular police officers are members of a unit in Spain’s Civil Guard called EDATI. But they are more commonly known as the country’s “nice police.”
Correspondent Gerry Hadden has more on how these “nice police” have rescued many from living a life of fear.
Follow Gerry Hadden on Twitter @gerryhadden

Spain's 'Nice Police' protect immigrants from exploitation

Spain's 'Nice Police' protect immigrants from exploitation

Spain is giving a new definition to the word police: nice. These particular police officers are members of a unit in Spain’s Civil Guard called EDATI. But they are more commonly known as the country’s “nice police.” Correspondent Gerry Hadden has more on how these “Nice Police” have rescued many from living a life of fear.

 

They help a part of society that often find themselves abandoned: undocumented immigrants. Unlike the rest of Spanish police who might arrest or deport them, the EDATI teaches immigrants their rights.
By bringing them to health and legal clinics, EDATI helps protect them from exploitation. The majority of Spain’s immigrant population is from Africa and South America.
Spain’s Interior Ministry reported that more than 26,000 undocumented immigrants were deported in 2012, a 16 percent decrease from the previous year. Spain does not allow children under the age of 18 to be deported. EDATI’s main job is outreach for young immigrant workers who make their way to the Spanish region.