An English woman seeking her foreign resident's ID card was reduced to tears by a Spanish police officer when she tried to explain what she wanted in English and Catalan. This is one of two instances of linguistic and cultural intolerance by Spanish police which have been reported by Míriam Nogueras, MP for PDeCAT (Catalan European Democratic Party) in the Spanish parliament, via her Twitter account.
According to Nogueras, the English woman turned up at the so-called "foreigners' department" of a police station of the Spanish National Police in order to request her Número de Identidad de Extranjero (NIE), the ID number required by resident foreigners in Spain. At first, the young woman spoke English to the officer on duty, and received the response that unless she spoke Spanish, she would not be served as he did not understand her. Because of that, the woman tried again, this time in Catalan. "You are a nationalist piece of shit!", the officer replied. In the end, the woman left the police station crying, having failed to obtain the document she needed.
In|To a police station of the National Police.
— Míriam Nogueras (@miriamnoguerasM) 24 of June 2018
An English girl wants to obtain the NIE:
[THREAD]
Translation: "At a National Polce station. An English woman wants to obtain her foreigner's ID number (NIE): (THREAD)" - Miriam Nogueras
It is sent to the person of the dept. of alienism in English.
— Míriam Nogueras (@miriamnoguerasM) 24 of June 2018
-if not me habla in español not the atiendo.
The girl speaks only English and Catalan.
It|He|She proves|tests it in Catalan.
-usted him a nationalist of mierda!
The crying course|march girl. Without NIE
"She speaks to the person on duty in the foreigners' department, in English.
- If you don't speak to me in Spanish I won't serve you.
The woman speaks only English and Catalan.
She tries in Catalan.
-You are a nationalist piece of shit!
The woman leaves in tears. Without her ID number."
As well, Nogueras recounted the instance of a Polish woman who also went to apply for her NIE in order to begin work experience in a company as part of an Erasmus study programme. When she showed her Karta Pubytu - the Polish ID document - the police oficer did not accept it and told her point-blank that foreign students could not work in Spain. Even though the woman explained to the officer that the work experience was being managed by the university itself, the officer refused to process her request and told her: "If you don't like Spanish laws, the door is over there".
Behind, a Polish girl who was also going to search the NIE to make practices in a company via erasumus.
— Míriam Nogueras (@miriamnoguerasM) 24 of June 2018
-su DNI.
The girl shows|teaches him|her the Polish warehouse of identity (Karta Pubytu).
-qué him esto?!
The policeman does not recognize the warehouse.
"Behind was a Polish woman who was also seeking her NIE in order to begin work experience in a company as part of an Erasmus study programme.
- Could I see your ID?
The woman showed her Polish ID card, Karta Pubytu.
- What's this?!
The police officer did not accept the document."
-los estudiantes extranjeros no pueden trabajar en España.
-sr, son practicas universitarias que gestiona la misma universidad...
-Si no les gustan las leyes españolas, puerta. — Míriam Nogueras (@miriamnoguerasM) 24 of June 2018
"- Foreign students can't work in Spain.
- Sir, this is work experience managed by the university itself...
- If you don't like Spanish laws, there's the door." — Míriam Nogueras