The GSD recently visited the Queen’s Hotel where residents expressed their concerns about being evicted and the uncertainty regarding their relocation. The GSD has also highlighted the current living conditions being experienced by residents at the Queen’s Hotel.

A statement from the GSD follows below:

The imminent eviction of residents of Queen’s Hotel on 30 September and transfer to Sunrise Hostel will unlikely resolve appalling housing conditions. These conditions are endured despite repeated electoral promises by the GSLP/Liberals. These members of our community have been failed for many years by this Government. In 2020 the Government announced plans for a 600-bed hostel which has not happened. Their subsequent electoral plans for a smaller new hostel also seem paralysed.  

The Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) visited residents of the Queen’s Hotel, who have been enduring deplorable living conditions for years. The visit was prompted by residents' concerns about being forcibly evicted and uncertainty regarding their relocation.

They have been living in what can only be described as inhumane squalor, posing serious hygiene and safety risks. Many of these individuals are long-standing members of the local community who have contributed to Gibraltar for decades. Despite repeated promises from the current administration, they have been left waiting for suitable housing. Their frustration stems from broken promises of new housing, often highlighted during election periods, only to be forgotten once elections are over.

The residents are especially concerned by claims that they will be evicted by the end of the month and relocated to the Sunrise Hostel on Devil’s Tower Road. 

Upon visiting the Sunrise Hostel, those residing in this Hostel confirmed that the facility is already full and expressed concerns about additional capacity to accommodate more people and about communal spaces being converted into sleeping areas for up to eight individuals, further exacerbating the overcrowding issues. The GSD asks the Government for immediate clarification on this matter. 

Shadow Minister for Care and Opportunity, Atrish Sanchez, expresses her disappointment after visiting Queen’s Hotel and hearing about these concerns: 

"I was deeply saddened by the living conditions I witnessed. It is unacceptable that anyone should have to endure such deplorable circumstances, let alone for years. What we have seen today is truly shocking, and the so-called solution that has been proposed after years of broken promises is nothing short of disgraceful. One resident shared with me a letter he received upon gaining British nationality, which described Gibraltar as a warm, welcoming, and generous society—known globally ‘for holding freedom, equality, and tolerance in the highest regard.’ Sadly, those words no longer bear any significance for him, and after seeing the conditions he's been living in for years, I can understand why.

Many of these residents are elderly, and some live with disabilities. Rather than being given the safe, proper homes they require, they have been subjected to inhumane conditions for years. Now, they face being relocated to another facility with minimal amenities to cater for their needs. This is not a dignified solution. I call on the Government to urgently provide a fair, equitable and humane resolution for these individuals, who have endured enough. This is not the Gibraltar we believe in, and it is certainly not the way we should treat people."

Shadow Minister with Special Responsibility for Community and Civic Engagement, Craig Sacarello also expressed dissatisfaction by stating, “There is, sadly, a difference in the standard of treatment metered out by this government towards some integral members of our community. 

The Queen's Hostel residents feel unequivocally abandoned. They are extremely concerned that they are being forcibly evicted on the 30th September and will be moved out of the frying pan and into the fire. The Sunrise Motel is running at virtual capacity and the plan seems to be to cram several of them into a modest sized living room. There is clearly no space there for all of them.

We ask the government for immediate clarification on the matter, and we seek their assurances that these tenants of theirs will be offered suitable and respectable accommodation. Until that is guaranteed, they ought not to be evicted."

 The GSD continues to advocate for a more compassionate, equitable and effective approach to social issues, ensuring that all citizens are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.