Andorra Minister Denies Existence of 'Pastera Hotels' After Inspections

Interior Minister Ester Molné has ruled out the existence of so-called "pastera hotels" in Andorra, following police checks prompted by public concerns over accommodation used to secure residence permits.

Speaking in an interview on Diari TV's *Parlem-ne* programme, Molné addressed rumours that certain hotels were housing four or five people per room to help applicants obtain immigration papers. She stressed that such reports had created unnecessary social alarm, not always matching reality, and called for objective data from inspections to reassure the public.

The checks, conducted jointly with the Immigration Department, targeted hotels frequently listed as addresses in residence applications. Officials needed to verify compliance with the requirement for a valid domicile in permit requests. The inspections found no evidence of pastera operations—hotels illegally packed with residents to exploit residency rules.

Instead, Molné explained, the issue stemmed from newcomers using hotels as temporary addresses while finding permanent housing. Many failed to update their details with Immigration after moving out, leaving the hotels listed as their residence despite occupants having left.

"No pastera hotels were found during the controls," Molné insisted.

The reviews did uncover isolated cases of irregular immigration. In those instances, authorities handle matters individually: affected individuals are invited to regularise their status or leave the country. If regularisation proves impossible, they must depart, in line with the law.