Barcelona City Council has removed 4,230 individuals from the city’s municipal register of residents over an 18-month period after detecting suspected fraudulent housing documents, according to official data.
The removals, which accounted for less than 0.2% of Barcelona’s reported population of 1.7 million, were part of administrative investigations into improper inclusion on the padrón, the official register used to confirm residency. The council recorded 3,145 removals in the first year and 1,085 in the following six months.
While the cases are open administrative files and not confirmed criminal fraud, the council works with the National Police’s Unit Against Illegal Immigration Networks and Document Forgery (UCRIF) when evidence suggests a criminal offence.
Joint operation leads to 15 arrests
In a separate but related joint operation, the National Police and Barcelona’s municipal police, known as Guàrdia Urbana, dismantled a network suspected of using the residents register and Catalonia’s Register of Stable Couples to obtain residency permits fraudulently.
Fifteen people have been arrested in connection with the fraudulent use of public documents to secure residency in Spain.
The network allegedly registered foreign nationals with Spanish women, later formalising them as stable couples before a notary to access residency rights under family or community grounds. Many of the Spanish women involved reported their documents were used without consent and that they were registered at addresses other than their actual homes.
Investigators examined 135 foreign residency files and took statements from 30 Spanish citizens identified as victims of identity usurpation, document falsification and fraud. Eighteen registrations of stable couples were cancelled.
Next steps and ongoing enforcement
Unfavourable reports and requests to cancel residency permits have been submitted to the Government Sub-Delegation, depending on the administrative stage of each case.
The city continues to strengthen oversight of the municipal register, aiming to protect both public services and vulnerable residents from exploitation. Further details on the register and residency rules are available via the Residents Register portal on Barcelona City Council’s website.
Primary sources: barcelona.cat, bcnroc.ajuntament.barcelona.cat, Barcelona City Council, Oficina Municipal de Dades, ajuntament.barcelona.cat. Reported by barna.news, Albert Diumenjó Segalà, Gemma Garrido Granger.
