'Dirty' Africans ordered to wash

The view that 'foreigners are dirty' might seem old-fashioned, especially in a city that welcomes hordes of tourists each summer. But Valencia's new health guide for immigrants suggests the Costa Blanca city has a low opinion of the thousands of migrant workers, mainly from North and sub-Saharan Africa, who flock there in search of poorly paid jobs picking oranges.

The 50-page booklet, published in Spanish, English, French and Arabic by the regional government's health council, has drawn a storm of protest from local aid groups because of its patronising tone and apparent belief that most immigrants enjoy amenities such as hot running water.

One section advises immigrants that showering or bathing every day is recommended, and offers the following technique: 'Wet your body with plenty of water, soap your own sponge and run it over the different parts of the body, then rinse with plenty of water and, last of all, dry off by rubbing a towel energetically over the different parts of your body.'

It also notes that the face should be washed upon rising and before going to bed, and teeth should be brushed several times a day. Dental floss is also advised.

Javier Botey of the Information Centre for Immigrant Workers denounced the guide, adding there were immigrants who came to Spain 'with better and cleaner habits than ours' who could 'give us advice'.

The guide also explains how to dress: work clothes should be worn to work, along with work shoes, while pyjamas are used in bed, house shoes are for the house and trainers are most suitable for sporting activities. Taking up sports, of course, is 'a great way of filling your free time'.

The authors do not seem to be familiar with the back-breaking work and squalid conditions faced by many thousands of illegal immigrants in southern Spain, especially those on the farms that provide fruit and vegetables to much of Europe.

North Africans often find it impossible to rent decent housing because many Spaniards claim they will destroy property. Migrant workers are forced to share squalid shacks and derelict buildings without running water or electricity. Even so, they are dotted with buckets of hand-carried water where clothes lie soaking.

The guide adds that immigrants should clean their lavatories every day and clean plates and cutlery in a dishwasher. Beds should be 'comfortable, with no dip in the middle, and with a mattress at least 18-20cm thick'.

In real life, many workers are forced to share rudimentary beds, a slab of wood padded with cloth, and can only dream of a tap.

'To us, this guide seems to show a terrible lack of respect,' says Toni Vigo of SOS Racism in Valencia.

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