Spanish police evict hundreds of migrants from squat deemed a safety hazard

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Police in northeastern Spain carried out eviction orders Wednesday to clear an abandoned school building where hundreds of mostly undocumented migrants were living in a squat north of Barcelona.

Knowing that the eviction in the middle of winter was coming, most of the occupants had left to try to find other shelter before police in riot gear from Catalonia's regional police entered the school’s premises early in the morning under court orders.

While the eviction was completed without violence, there were moments of tension when people who were losing their homes had to walk past armored officers.

The squat was located in Badalona, a working class city that borders Barcelona. Many sub-Saharan migrants, mostly from Senegal and Gambia, had moved into the empty school building since it was left abandoned in 2023.

The mayor of Badalona, Xavier García Albiol, announced the evictions in a post on X. “As I had promised, the eviction of the squat of 400 illegal squatters in the B9 school in Badalona begins," he wrote.

The judicial order obliged the Badalona town hall to provide the evicted people with access to social services, but it did not oblige local authorities to find housing for all the squatters.

Lawyer Marta Llonch, who represents the squatters, said that many people would surely end up without shelter in the cold.

“Many people are going to sleep on the street tonight,” Llonch told The Associated Press. “Just because you evict these people it doesn’t mean they disappear. If you don’t give them an alternative place to live they will now be on the street, which will be a problem for them and the city.”

Many of the squatters lived from selling scrap metal collected from the streets. Others had residency and work permits but were forced to live there because they couldn't afford housing during a cost-of-living crunch that is making it difficult even for working Spaniards to buy or rent homes. That housing crisis has led to widespread social angst and public protests.

On leaving the school, people loaded their belongings onto carts, some used as trailers led by bicycles, to haul them away.

The Badalona town hall will offer temporary housing to some 30 people, according to El País newspaper. Another 60 people are being attended to by Catalonia’s regional social services, which could end up offering them temporary housing as well, regional officials told the AP.

García Albiol, of the conservative Popular Party, has built his political career as Badalona's long-standing mayor with an anti-immigration stance.

The Badalona town hall had argued that the squat was a public safety hazard. In 2020, an old factory occupied by around a hundred migrants in Badalona caught fire and four people were killed in the blaze.

Like other southern European countries, Spain has for more than a decade seen a steady influx of migrants who risked their lives crossing the Mediterranean or Atlantic in small boats.

While many developed countries have taken a hard-line position against migration, Spain's left-wing government has said that legal migration has helped its economy grow.

A migrant carries his belongings as police began carrying out eviction orders at an abandoned school building where hundreds of mostly undocumented migrants had been living, in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Migrants from Romania and Senegal sit in a makeshift bar inside an abandoned school in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, where hundreds of migrants have been occupying the building. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A migrant argues with a riot police officer as police begin carrying out eviction orders at an abandoned school building where hundreds of mostly undocumented migrants had been living, in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A migrant's belongings are packed before he leaves as police in the background prepares to carry out eviction orders at an abandoned school building where hundreds of mostly undocumented migrants had been living, in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Migrants confront police as they begin carrying out eviction orders at an abandoned school building where hundreds of mostly undocumented migrants had been living, in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Yankuba Touray, from Gambia, makes coffee in a makeshift kitchen inside an abandoned school in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, where hundreds of migrants have been occupying the building. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Yankuba Touray, from Gambia, eats his breakfast inside an abandoned school in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, where hundreds of migrants have been occupying the building.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Migrants from Romania and Senegal sit in a makeshift bar inside an abandoned school in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, where hundreds of migrants have been occupying the building. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Yankuba Touray, from Gambia, stands inside an abandoned school in Badalona, near Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, where hundreds of migrants have been occupying the building.(AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — When actor Amy Baik was cast in a South Korean commercial last year, she thought she had landed a promising gig.

But after filming wrapped, she was shocked to learn that both the director and advertiser had cut her scenes — not because of her performance, but because she lacked a facial feature prized in South Korean beauty standards.

“The reason was that I don’t have double eyelids,” said Baik, 26.

“After receiving that feedback, I started to reconsider what kind of appearance Korea wants," she said, adding it "made me wonder how I can survive as an actor in South Korea.”

That experience pushed her toward a different market. The global success of “Parasite,” “Minari” and “Squid Game” has opened doors for South Korean performers in Hollywood — and spawned a cottage industry of consultants helping actors navigate American casting.

“Hollywood’s the dream (...) the ultimate pinnacle of acting accolades,” said Julia Kim, a Korean American casting director who worked on “Minari,” Amazon Prime’s “Butterfly” and “KPop Demon Hunters.”

While established stars like Park Hae-soo and Lee Byung-hun have both South Korean and American representation, most aspiring Korean actors lack such connections. That gap is what talent agencies like Los Angeles-based Upstage Entertainment are trying to bridge.

Alison Dumbell, a co-founder of Upstage with experience in Bollywood and Los Angeles, said she has noticed more demands for “characters that are specifically Korean” than generic “East Asian” ones from Western producers. She attributes that shift partly to the global popularity of South Korean entertainment.

Still, stereotypes persist. “The one that irritates me is the nerdy tech programmer," Dumbell said. “Sometimes I just won’t even submit my actor for that because I know that they’re much more nuanced as actors.”

For most South Korean actors without connections or know-how, Hollywood is still uncharted territory.

Kim, who typically casts high-profile stars and works with local casting directors for co-productions, also finds actors via social media. “I usually put out an open call on my Instagram,” she said.

But for actors without major agency backing, the right contacts are hard to find. The American and Korean industries operate differently, and U.S. casting information rarely reaches those outside established networks.

Kim said South Korean talent faces a steep learning curve. “I would get questions — should I change my Korean name to a Western name? Do I pay to get an agent? Can I look into the camera when I’m doing an audition?” she said. Even name consistency is an issue: Kim recalled a K-pop artist turned actor whose name appeared five different ways online.

Technical standards also differ. Actor Misun Youm noted American audition tapes require clean white backgrounds, while “in Korea, it doesn’t matter.”

Headshots diverge too: South Korean profiles feature modellike images, while American headshots match character types.

“In Korea, you shoot profile photos like a fashion magazine model,” said veteran actor Shin Ju-hwan, who goes by Julian Shin. He played a masked soldier in second and third seasons of “Squid Game," and stars in “Taxi Driver” Season 3.

Shin found Upstage by chance — his wife, a producer, discovered them on LinkedIn.

His Hollywood dream was partly motivated by colleagues at his former agency — Han Yeri in “Minari” and Jung Ho-yeon in “Squid Game.”

“Even though I wasn’t a main character — I was just a ‘soldier’ — people who saw even that brief appearance started leaving comments on my Instagram,” Shin said. “The impact of that show was truly unparalleled.”

Shin took an intensive approach to English, transcribing over 30,000 English words and expressions from the internet, then using AI to check if any phrases were outdated. “Idioms are really fun,” he said. ”‘Break a leg’ or ‘hold your horses’ — learning those makes you feel closer to being native.”

The accent question looms large.

Devin Overman, another co-founder of Upstage who coaches English line delivery, said “it’s perfectly fine, even preferable to have an accent because the accent is part of who you are."

She focuses on intonation. “When native Korean speakers are trying to read English lines, it sounds like they’re reading. That’s the hardest thing to break," she said.

But consultants aren’t pushing actors to erase their identity. Shin recalled Dumbell advising him not to sound too “American-ish.” “She said people would prefer my genuine pronunciation,” he said.

For Shin, the pivot came as opportunities in South Korea contracted.

“Starting three years ago, I realized this industry was getting harder,” he said. “Since the Korean market was struggling, I thought I should broaden my horizons to international markets.”

Age discrimination is also driving some actors abroad. Youm, 29, said in South Korea “30 isn’t considered young."

“There are some limitations when it comes to finding an agency or auditioning for a role,” she said.

Shin, in his 40s, was given a chance to audition for a 20-something character for an international production. “In Korean audition tapes, you usually say your age,” he noted. “In the U.S. (…) they don’t.”

Baik, who got a minor role in the Netflix teen romantic comedy “XO, Kitty," now sees her features as assets abroad.

After feedback from American casting directors, she said she learned “I could do action roles and break free from the ‘cute’ image.”

She also found working with an international crew an eye-opening experience, and came to appreciate aspects of the American work culture. “In Korea, overtime was routine. In the American market, you clock in and clock out like an office worker," she said. "It was more efficient.”

She said her ongoing journey to Hollywood has taught her to trust herself.

“At first, everyone said it would be impossible (...) ‘Only famous Korean actors can do this,’” she recalled. "But after watching me fly overseas and make everything happen with my own hands...I can say with certainty from my experience that Hollywood is ready to open its doors to anyone.”

Shin, who hopes to play a villain in American productions, sees a shift.

“There was a time when it seemed like you had to roll your R’s and act like an American… But now it feels like you can be yourself — be Korean if you’re Korean,” Shin said. “Stereotypes are gradually crumbling.”

This version corrects the spelling of the Upstage Entertainment co-founder's name to Devin Overman, not Devon.

CAPTION CORRECTS THE NAME - Devin Overman, left, and Alison Dumbell, co-founders of consulting firm Upstage Entertainment, advise South Korean actors on navigating the Hollywood casting system in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

Amy Baik, a South Korean actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

South Korean actor Julian Shin talks to The Associated Press about his career and efforts to break into Hollywood in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

Devon Overman, left, and Alison Dumbell, co-founders of consulting firm Upstage Entertainment, advise South Korean actors on navigating the Hollywood casting system in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

Misun Youm, actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)

Amy Baik, a South Korean actor, performs a scene for an English-language demo reel she plans to submit to Hollywood casting directors in Seoul, Sunday, Nov. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Juwon Park)