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In recent years over a million foreign migrants have come to Catalonia and made their home here. Immigration over this short period has risen from 2% to 16%. Catalonia has the largest number of immigrants in the Spanish state (21%), followed by the Autonomous Community of Madrid (19%) and the Autonomous Community of Valencia (16%). These unprecedented demographic changes mean that Catalonia now boasts a population of over seven million people with a large number arriving over a very short period of time. It’s a positive situation, our society has accepted the reality and irreversibility of change and has committed itself to integration, in similar terms to those expressed in many EU documents.
The national agreement on immigration, signed on 19 December 2008, expressed this commitment. It was widely supported by the Catalonian government with 90% of parliamentary representatives, municipal associations, economic and social agents, as well as the main non-governmental organisations signing up. The document defines public policies and actions that must be put in place between now and 2020 to manage immigration. It contains more than a hundred measures and addresses key citizen concerns. These were raised during a wide-ranging consultation process involving more than 1,500 people and taking in more than 2,300 contributions. The process aimed to understand the changes that have taken place in Catalonia, identify the demands and social concerns that these changes generated, and to respond to these concerns in a way that encourages social cohesion in Catalonia.
If we are to set political priorities, we must identify the causes and effects of Catalonia’s recent demographic shifts. In the last ten years, Catalonia has been transformed, but it is the third time this has happened in the last hundred years. The steady economic growth in Catalonia over the last ten years accounts for much of this change. Catalonia has enjoyed an average growth rate of 3.5% of GDP over a twelve-year period, and between the years 1977 and 1997 the birth rate of the native population declined considerably. The incorporation of women into the labour market has also contributed to this change. In the 1990s, the rate of female employment was very close to the European average, and was almost ten points above the Spanish average. Since we can’t change these facts and in any case don’t want to change them, it is clear that the majority of the million plus new Catalans are here to stay. This moves us beyond the concept of guest workers and places integration at the heart of our political agenda.
In harmony with EU policy, we clearly need policies that manage Catalonia’s demographic changes. There must be policies to deal with worker mobility for both qualified and unqualified workers, as well as policies on return (both voluntary and compulsory), policies on circular migration, and policies on the problem of unaccompanied minors. And there must be maximum co-ordination with the other European countries on all these issues. But the first priority is the integration process for the large majority of foreigners who have come to stay. This fact must be clearly and unequivocally accepted.
To encourage social cohesion we have to listen to our population and address their concerns. These concerns include the administration of migratory flows, minimising competition for public resources, and facing up to the challenge of living in a diverse society, as opposed to a society with a diversity of parallel societies. The challenge is to strike a balance between plurality and social cohesion, while respecting both. The agreement formulated clear responses to these issues. Catalonia must manage migratory flows in accordance with the labour market, prioritise internal human resources, give legal status to migrants and raise awareness about the reality of new influxes. And to avoid human decapitalisation Catalonia must work in conjunction with the countries of origin and the common EU policy on skill management. We also need to adapt the public services and create a universal reception service that gives equal access to all. On this issue, the European Union would do well to raise common standards with regard to the recognition of social rights.
Our response is cross-sectional and involves much co-ordination between institutions. Education has been greatly adapted. Catalonia is a pioneer in reception classes and community education. The reception classes are located within ordinary schools and are co-ordinated by the teaching staff of the school itself. The staff specialises in integration, social cohesion and the promotion of multilingualism. The aim is to integrate newly arrived pupils – who are often mid-way through their school curriculum – into ordinary classes. This involves linguistic immersion and a huge effort on teaching ordinary subjects. The time pupils spend in these classes depends on their ability to adapt to their surroundings and goes hand in hand with participation in regular classes. New students spend time with other students in common areas and enjoy common activities together. This doesn’t interfere with the school’s academic agenda. Now there are 1,238 of these classes. Community education aims to help students succeed at school, foster civic responsibility, and to build relations between adult education centres, local institutions, leisure activities and remedial classes.
We are acting with greater urgency to integrate the new arrivals into a common public culture. Within this culture, different people can share the same values, the same language, the same legal framework and some basic rules for getting on with each other. Above all, this culture should encourage respect for elementary rights and duties.
Public participation – a field where the EU could achieve greater co-ordination between the member states – and the fact that Catalan is the public language in a multi-lingual society, have also helped this effort.
Catalonia has seen its demographic base renewed on many occasions over the last hundred years. It will gain in significance and cohesiveness if it asserts itself as a country of immigration. Through forward thinking it can allow people to set down roots and discover opportunities. Catalonia should unite through what people do together and not by what their descendants did. We need to recognise ourselves as a country of immigration not only in order to maximise opportunities, but also so that we know how to respond to risks. These thoughts are brought together, and expressed in, our agreement.
Further information: National Agreement on Immigration (English - French)
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