Mum and son living in tent on roadside after flying to Tenerife ‘for new life’

A mother and son left their home country for Tenerife three months ago for a fresh start, but have been forced to live in a tent by the roadside while they wait for new work documents

On the southern coast of Tenerife in El Médano, a mother and son have made a makeshift home in a green and blue tent next to a road.

Joshua Castiglioni, 27, an ex-bartender from near Milan, and his mum Paola Nigro, 63, a former cleaner, sought a fresh start on the Spanish isle three months ago due to family troubles. Currently without their original work papers, they’re waiting for new ones. If Joshua lands a job, he plans to save cash for a proper rental with solid walls and a roof.

Locals in Tenerife recently took to the streets in the capital to protest against rampant tourism, arguing it’s pushed housing prices through the roof. Initially trying to set up camp by a beach across a small highway bridge, the police stepped in, forcing them to move on.

“Here is a free zone,” explained Joshua. He added: “It’s good because the weather is good here, we have the sea. It’s easier than Italy, for sure, but it’s always complicated for some stuff because you don’t have the light.”

Life is more bearable than in Italy, though certain things remain tricky due to lack of facilities like electricity, according to the Express. They depend on public toilets and beg nearby restaurants for food, reports Yorkshire Live.

“We ask and they give us something,” Joshua disclosed. “The food is never a problem here. They are so kind, everybody. You’re free to be yourself, for sure. You have no rules. After the bridge there’s all the rules.”

In the area, other residents have set up their own makeshift homes, connected by a path etched into the nearby sand and bushes.

One house even flaunts an al fresco toilet shed.

Another house has a front gate that looks like it’s been stolen from the back of a wooden dining chair, while some have made homes out of natural caves. Joshua revealed: “A lot [of people] live here. We’re like a family. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s not good. It’s normal.

“Here, it is quiet. The same on the beach, but the coppers come every time to say ‘go away’”. His mum, using her son as a translator, shared: “I like it. It’s like a holiday.”

Paola dreams of owning a house one day, but for now, she’s happy with their current abode. She relishes the freedom and points out that in Italy there are a “lot of problems, a lot of rules”.

She’s also fond of the weather and popping down to the sea whenever she can. Marco Gaudio, 51, another Italian expat, moved to Tenerife for work a year ago after jacking in his job in a restaurant kitchen.

Roused from a nap in a tent near Joshua and Paola, Marco had a chat with the Express, laid-back and baring his chest.

“For the moment, it’s ok,” he claimed. He revealed having a child in Toulouse and voiced his aspirations for landing a job to give them a brighter future in the area.

Flashing a show of strength and brushing off any notion of fear with a bicep flex, he assured: “No problem.”

Probed about feeling listless, Marco was quick to dismiss boredom but admitted he’s keen to get on the employment ladder.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.