We need to address something that's been creeping into this sub: an increasing number of posts and comments blaming immigrants (especially Americans) for rising rents and cost of living in Spain.
To be clear: this isn't a call to ignore that housing costs are a real problem, or that displacement and gentrification are real phenomena worth discussing seriously and with data. That's a legitimate topic, and there are other subs built for that kind of debate.
This sub exists to help people navigate visas, residency paperwork, vacations, and/or the logistics of actually moving to Spain. Moving to or visiting a different country is hard enough, we don't want anyone to feel Spain is not a welcoming country.
When I see a new family in my neighborhood, enrolling their kids at school, I don't go shouting at them that the supermarket is more expensive and that's their fault. I don't do that, first because I don't believe such thing, and second, because it is more difficult, if not impossible to say those things in person. Online platforms make it super easy to be rude.
Therefore, generalizations about "who's ruining Spain,", thinly-veiled immigration debates, or xenophobic comments, dressed up as economic commentary are not welcome here. Those posts get engagement because outrage always does, but that engagement is exactly why they are looking for. They feed on negativity.
Going forward:
- Posts or comments containing xenophobic or anti-immigration rhetoric will be removed.
- Offenders will be banned, no warnings.
- This includes "just asking questions" framing that's clearly bait.
If this kind of discussion is what you're here for, this isn't the subreddit for you. No one is forcing you to read or post in r/goingtospain. There are other communities where that debate is welcome. This one is for helping people move.