Ships housing deployed Spanish police to stay extra 2 weeks

Thousands of Spanish police officers deployed in Catalonia and who are housed in two ferries in Barcelona’s port are to remain until at least November 2. The Spanish authorities brought in thousands of officers from the Spanish National and Guardia Civil police forces in the run-up to the independence referendum on October 1. Many of the officers were housed in two ships docked in the Catalan capital’s port, and another in the port of Tarragona.

The Italian ferries, Moby Dada and Rhapsody, originally had permission to remain in the port until October 5. That was then extended to October 18, and has now been extended for another two weeks. The two ships in Barcelona can together accommodate around 3,000 people, with a further 800 on the ship in the port of Tarragona. As the ferries have been designated official state ships, the port authorities have no choice but to allow them to stay.