Toni Comín crossed the Franco-Spanish administrative border on foot at the Coll dels Belitres on Sunday, October 25, ending nine years of exile in Belgium, according to regional reporting. The former health minister and Junts politician completed a walk from the lighthouse in Cerbère to Portbou accompanied by family, friends, and political figures, returning to Catalonia under the amnesty, without facing arrest by Spanish authorities.
Crossing the Coll dels Belitres After Nine Years
Comín began his journey at midday under clear autumn skies, setting out from the Cerbère lighthouse in Northern Catalonia and following a coastal path toward the border pass. More than a hundred supporters, family members, and political figures joined the march, which emulated the memory of Republican exiles during the 1939 retreat. Upon reaching the Coll dels Belitres at nearly 200 meters of altitude, Comín addressed the crowd next to a Catalan independence referendum ballot box and a memorial dedicated to Civil War exiles.
Today is a party, I want today to be a song to friendship and freedom, a day to make use and abuse of the word thank you,
Comín said during a lengthy speech that focused primarily on personal gratitude rather than direct politics. He named individual family members, childhood friends, university colleagues, and supporters from Belgium, while also remembering his late mother, brother, and friends who passed away during his years abroad. This morning my entire life was reunited,
he told the gathering, according to regional media.
Political Repercussions and Legal Context of the Return
While the event carried significant personal weight, Comín also emphasized its political impact, pointing out that his return as a member of the October 1 government marked a defeat for Madrid’s legal strategy. Today we have won, that a member of the October 1 government returns home free is the last thing the Spanish State wanted,
Comín stated at the border, adding that the exile strategy had fractured the state’s legal position even if it was not the definitive victory for independence.
The return followed a brief trip to Madrid on Thursday, October 22, where Comín visited the Congress of Deputies and the Central Electoral Board to swear the Spanish Constitution, securing his mandate as a Member of the European Parliament. RAC1 noted that Comín traveled to Madrid via the French Basque Country to avoid stepping foot in Catalonia prematurely. Having completed the oath, Comín can now attend European Parliament sessions without obstruction. While he intends to live in Catalonia, including at his family home in Castellterçol, he confirmed he will maintain his residence in Leuven to fulfill his duties in Brussels.
Foreign Friends of Catalonia congratulates @KRLS, @toni_comin and @LluisPuigGordi with their regained freedom!
Comparing Returns Among Exiled Leaders
Comín’s arrival follows closely behind former minister Lluís Puig, who returned to Catalonia earlier in the week after nine years in exile, receiving a large public welcome in Terrassa before reclaiming his parliamentary seat. While Puig returned mid-week to resume parliamentary duties directly, Comín opted for a symbolic public crossing on foot through the historic Pyrenean border checkpoint.
Municipal leaders handled the arrivals with varying degrees of public presence; while Cerbère Christian Grau greeted Comín at the start of his walk, Portbou’s socialist mayor, Gael Rodríguez, did not attend the arrival at the coastal terminus near the Walter Benjamin memorial. The absence of Carles Puigdemont remains a pending return from the 2017 government, with Puigdemont indicating he will return following the Spanish elections and when the amnesty is fully applied to him.
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