According to the Spanish police, attackers from organized crime groups chose Ukrainian refugees as victims because they usually carry all their savings and valuables with them.
On March 3, the Spanish police announced the arrest of 10 suspects in the robbery of refugees from Ukraine in the regions of Valencia and Murcia, the Anadolu news agency reports.
Seven of the detainees are Ukrainians, and there are three Russians who allegedly assisted the robbers.
Spanish law enforcers specified that the attackers chose Ukrainian refugees as victims because, as a rule, they bring with them all their savings and valuables.
During the raids, stolen cash and valuable items worth more than 1.25 million euros were seized: phones, watches, laptops, jewelry and a collection of stamps.
The criminal group carried out regular robberies. After choosing a victim, the robbers arranged surveillance and even placed GPS trackers on the cars of Ukrainian citizens.
Spanish Police
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After making sure that no one was at home, the thieves entered the dwellings, opened the locks and carried out everything they wanted.
Hacks also took place in the cities of Torrevieja and Orihuela in the Costa Blanca region.
The detainees – nine men and one woman – were charged with robbery, participation in an organized criminal group and violation of private property.
After the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Spain took in about 168,000 Ukrainian refugees, according to statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The province of Valencia with a population of 5 million people is the most popular region among Ukrainians; 45,000 Ukrainians have moved here.
Right-wing attacks on refugees in Germany
Refugees from Ukraine in Germany
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During the year, 121 cases of attacks on refugee centers were registered throughout Germany. This is the first time this statistic has risen since 2015.
There were 73% more attacks last year than in 2022, according to the local Interior Ministry.
At least 1,248 refugees and asylum seekers were verbally and physically abused outside of refugee centres.
The representative of the Left Party, Clara Bagner, called these figures alarming and called for decisive measures to be taken to combat right-wing radical groups.
Over the past year, Germany has received more than 1.2 million refugees. Most are from Ukraine.
In 2015, Germany saw a spate of attacks on thousands of refugee centers across the country. Since then, such cases have become less and less every year, in 2021 the statistics were the lowest of all time – 70 attacks.
Recall that, according to official figures, only 15% of refugees find work in Spain, while in other European countries – at least 50%.
Focus previously reported that 68% of Ukrainian refugees in Poland, Romania and Moldova do not have enough money to cover basic needs: food, water, clothing, housing and healthcare.
