Severe Apartment Overcrowding in La Seu d'Urgell Driven by Andorra's Housing Crisis
Study reveals extreme overcrowding from Andorran rents and immigration rules pushing Latin American and Moroccan families into substandard homes,.
Key Points
- 8-9 people sharing single apartments cause family conflicts, health problems, schooling barriers.
- Andorra's high rents, strict rules expel families from Colombia, Peru, Morocco, Pakistan into La Seu.
- Over 1,600 daily commuters overload housing, schools, welfare in rural Alt Urgell.
- Urges county housing plan, migration data, integration aid to combat exploitation and tensions.
A study commissioned by Alt Urgell County Council has uncovered severe apartment overcrowding in La Seu d'Urgell, linking the issue to Andorra's soaring rents, strict family reunification rules, and expulsions of people in irregular administrative status.
The report, titled *Pla comarcal de ciutadania i migracions: Transversalització de les polítiques migratòries en els serveis públics, el foment de la participació ciutadana i la dinamització comunitària. 2026-2028*, was coordinated by social consultancy La Perifèrica and authored by Alba Cuevas and Özgür Günes Öztürk. It documents extreme cases of eight or nine people sharing a single home, leading to family conflicts, health issues, schooling barriers, substandard conditions, and hurdles for social services.
Andorra's economic pressures have pushed families—primarily from Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, and Pakistan—across the border. Recent data show foreign residents exceeding 20% of the population in parts of La Seu d'Urgell at times. Over 1,600 commuters from Catalan territory cross daily for Andorran jobs, heightening strain on northern Alt Urgell's housing, schools, and welfare systems. Local leaders fear the town is turning into a dormitory for workers unable to afford or legally reside in the Principat.
The rural comarca's sparse population and absent coordinated housing strategy fuel rental shortages and instability. The study urges a county-wide approach via the new Taula d'Habitatge de l'Alt Urgell to expand affordable, quality homes and ease cross-border competition.
Andorra's tight immigration rules create ongoing vulnerabilities, including intermittent irregularity, family splits, and gaps in support. The plan pushes for better migration data, stronger institutional responses, and joint efforts with Catalonia's government and Spain to tackle these imbalances.
Schools face rising enrollment diversity and expelled Andorran families, with insufficient resources for cultural, linguistic, emotional, and mental health needs. Teachers lack training on migration-linked challenges, while xenophobic remarks in families and parent associations hinder safe environments.
Migrant women and trans people endure precarious domestic and care jobs, often as live-ins with exploitation risks amplified by frontier work. The report flags high-risk sex work and rising suspected human trafficking for sexual exploitation, without dedicated assessments or aid pathways. Andorra's model deepens these divides, dumping social, health, and welfare burdens on Alt Urgell.
Commissioned jointly by the County Council, Ciutadania i Migracions Alt Urgell, and the Consorci d'Atenció a les Persones de l'Alt Urgell, the plan demands a full migration diagnosis, cohesion and antiracism strategies, diverse input, clear goals, tracked actions, and a feasible timeline with partner coordination. It prioritizes migrant reception, integration, credential recognition, and employment aid to curb neighborhood tensions and stigma.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: