The Minister of Justice and Interior, Elisa Núñez, has requested the Ministry of the Interior to “update and increase the number of National Police and Civil Guard, given the growth of the population of the Valencian Community especially “in the face of the increase in crime published by the Ministry’s own data.”

Núñez has met with representatives of the Valencia Regional and Provincial Committee of the Spanish Police Confederation, and the Spanish Association of Civil Guard (AEGC) to discuss the situation of security forces in the Valencian Community, who have asked for her support in conveying to the Ministry the need to increase the number of posts, since units are very depleted as a result of there being no increases since 2010.

According to data from the Ministry, in the last year crimes grew by 8.1% in the Valencian Community, two points above the Spanish average.

The meeting also discussed illegal immigration, which in Spain has increased by 82% in 2023 while “it seems that the central government looks the other way”.

Representatives of the associations said that the police forces are under-equipped with both human and material resources.

Elisa Núñez described as “very worrying” the data on the increase in crimes in the last year in the Valencian Community, which “have grown by 8.1%, more than two points above the Spanish average”. She offered to “hold a meeting with the Government delegate to work for the security and freedom of all the citizens of the Valencian Community”.

She added that another of the topics discussed at the meeting was illegal immigration, “something that we know is uncomfortable but is important. A few days ago we learned that in 2023 56,872 illegal immigrants arrived in Spain, 82% more than the previous year. Of them, only 3,090 have since been expelled.”

“This is one more example of how the Government of Spain looks the other way in the face of the waves of people who try to enter our country illegally and who also tend to be victims of mafias that play with their dreams, their illusions, and many times “Unfortunately, with their lives,” said Elisa Núñez.