The socialist group in Torrevieja Town Council has demanded the resignation of the Councillor for International Residents, Gitte Lund, following a recent publication in which they claim she has once again used her official position to spread messages that encourage fear, prejudice and rejection towards specific groups. The PSOE has called on the People’s Party in Torrevieja and the mayor to dismiss Lund if she does not step down voluntarily.
Socialist spokesperson Bárbara Soler described it as unacceptable that Lund is using her public role to disseminate personal prejudices among local residents and the foreign press as a representative of Torrevieja Town Council, accompanied by a photograph designed to provoke fear and rejection.
Soler noted that this is not an isolated incident, pointing to previous remarks made by the councillor regarding Chinese nationals, as well as comments comparing extraordinary regularisation procedures to major disasters such as the DANA floods or COVID-19. Soler stated that Lund is now using recent events in Ceuta to project another fear-based message.
According to the socialist spokesperson, the councillor’s publication attempts to suggest that individuals pictured in Ceuta would benefit from the extraordinary regularisation process. Soler clarified that linking events in Ceuta to regularisation is misleading, as the process only applies to individuals who can prove they were already residing in Spain before 1st January, noting that the last extraordinary regularisation took place over twenty years ago.
Soler argued that Lund distinguishes between different tiers of foreign residents, pointing out that she raised no objections to individuals obtaining residency permits by investing 500,000 euro in property—which further strained the housing market—whilst directing her criticisms at vulnerable groups that her department is obligated to support.
The PSOE clarified that the demand for her resignation is not based on general debate surrounding migration policy, but on the misuse of an official council role to promote prejudice and divide communities. Soler concluded that the councillor’s primary responsibility should be fostering peaceful coexistence and representing all international residents equally.
