“The inspections they did before, in the cases they called attention, are now constant, and something else has changed: before they entered the homes of the people who received the Income Guarantee Income (IGR), now even before they began to collect the benefit, they get into the homes of the people who have applied for it, it is not fanciful,” explains Uribarri. The Berri Otxoa platform denounces that the same is being done with supplementary pensions and employment incentives. Two Ertzainas go to the houses in a street suit and are collecting testimonies from many citizens in Argilan ESK.

Why these daily explorations?

Some are clear that they respond to a campaign, “but no explanation has been given from the institutions about this campaign, cases of fraud have not intensified, why?” says Uribarri. He says that there is a direct link between what is happening and the new GDR law which will enter into force on 19 March: the new law provides for a group of 25 inspection members of the Lanbide workers themselves, who will have access to homes as their duties. “Some say that this is a kind of training, antecedent of what comes, so that when the law comes into force it doesn’t look like innovation.”

The new law also includes the so-called Responsible Recognition: when requesting the IGR, the document of Responsible Declaration must be completed, indicating that all the requirements to access the benefit are met, “but there are so many requirements, that it is usual to make some error, and from now on this recognition and the non-compliance will be considered directly fraud”.

Being poor crime

The Berri Otxoak platform has been clear: We are facing a “campaign of criminalization and stigmatization of poverty”. In the words of Iñaki Uribarri, the use of a different meter with each other is evident: “The people who receive the IGR, despite having their right, are treated perversely, and although the fraud among those who receive this economic benefit is only 0.7%, it is a message that is socialized through this type of campaigns, ‘if they do controls it will be for something’. Tax fraud is 20% and tax inspection is much lower, and every inspection case is properly justified. Being poor seems to be a crime.”

The new law that comes is “a massacre”

“The new law introduces improvements in some conditions, but in terms of fraud control, it’s worse than the 2018 law, it’s very hard, what comes to us is a real massacre,” Uribarri says: “Increasing control is the way the PNV responds to right-wing messages like ‘Give money to migrants’, but ultimately it’s subjecting us to rights and social justice. The poor do not vote and are an easy goal, besides no one defends them, there is no social conscience”.

Beyond the PNV, we have transferred to Uribarri that the new law has been agreed by the Basque Government with Elkarrekin Podemos - IU. “What Jon Podemos has achieved is a very small thing, they have not achieved anything important and have had to swallow a lot,” he said. I think over time the parties on the left will realize.”