British retirees who have lived in the Spanish town of Girona since 2019 say they fear being “black listed” as UK nationals and are afraid to speak in public after local activists called for a census of foreign residents amid a surge in anti-tourist sentiment. John, 67, and Rosalind, 78 – which are not their real names – said they seldom leave their homes except for quick trips to run errands and when they do, they keep a low profile and avoid speaking in the hope that nobody identifies them as Brits. “There’s a real climate of anti-expat, and particularly anti-British sentiment in Girona nowadays, as in most Spanish tourist areas heavily populated by foreigners.
Many people look at us sideways, and occasionally spit after we pass by on the street,” said John, a former engineer. Last month, the Plataforma Decreixement Turístic Girona , (Platform for the reduction of tourists in Girona) which is a group of local activists who are against over-tourism in the city took to the streets calling for the local council to create a list of foreign residents “ alien ” to the local culture. The group is calling for an end to mass tourism and has published a manifesto that rails against wealthy “expats”, who have allegedly turned parts of the city into “totally elitist ghetto areas with their backs to people’s basic needs”.
“Among us expats, we have now called it a ‘black list’ for we are considered ‘rogue’ residents and tourists. Sounds like a dict.