La ciudad pide a Sánchez gestionar la inmigración y garantizar un modelo nacional para poner fin al «caos»

The Municipal Ministry of Social Policies of the City of Zaragoza, Marian Orós, will defend a motion in the Plenary of June in which he will request to reproach the Immigration of the Government of Spain and Specifically of the President, Pedro Sánchez, while claiming that he assumes his responsibilities and competence, in addition to guaranteeing a national model that ends with the current «chaos» to respond to the needs of the country and no longer «throw» people into irregularity, social exclusion, poverty, and witenism.

Furthermore, the motion asserts that it leaves improvisation and «stops using» municipalities to try to hide the problems they created. In another section of the text, the Central Government is obligated to provide sufficient economic, technical, and human resources to take responsibility for receiving information and the inclusion of the socio-labor of asylum seekers; Increase voluntary care elements and repatriation, and also provide municipalities with resources to serve these individuals as soon as they are expelled from aid, asylum, and humanitarian protection programs.

Finally, the PP motion requires the creation of formal mechanisms for transparent coordination, information, and cooperation for common and planned management that «bears fruit», instead of the meeting in early April with the government delegate of Aragón, Fernando Beltán.

However, according to the outcome of the President’s Conference, in which one of the issues was the immigration crisis and the President of the Government of Spain «refused to address it», he said he does not have many hopes.

In a press conference, ORÓ explained that the Government of Spain is «throwing hundreds of people into the street who are linked to misery, illegality, frustration, and desperation», while the cities of Spain «suffer these consequences». Additionally, with a «clear interest» in transferring national problems to municipal governments, which do not have the skills or resources to cope.

After emphasizing that the Spanish government’s immigration policy is a «failed model», he added that humanitarian and international protection aid programs, which should contribute to mitigating this situation, demonstrate that it is a «failed model».

It contributed to the fact that since 2017, illegal immigration in Spain has increased by 130%. «They have also promoted a policy that inadvertently promotes the mafia and human trafficking, with the unfortunate result that of all the people who come to this country and are entitled to international protection, only 18.5% will actually receive it.» This irregularity in the vast majority results in a stop and eventual homelessness after a few months.

The municipal councilor stated that immigration is an «opportunity», but «weak management and the lack of capacity to plan from the central administration turn cities into a problem».

Another figure detailed was the number of people living on the street organized on June 5th in the vicinity of Parque Bruil, revealing that there are 61 individuals, 22 from Mali and Algeria with international protection rights, 9 living near Bruil Park, and 30 near Reina Esther Walker, of various nationalities including Spain, Romania, Morocco, and several sub-Saharan African countries.

Additionally, 12 people with international protection rights are in the municipal shelter; With the urgent reception resources of the Municipal Council, 66 individuals in extreme fragility, asylum seekers, and those on the waiting list for a place from entities managing Spanish government programs, are accommodated.

In summary, the Local Council of Zaragoza accommodates a hundred individuals with international protection rights for the Spanish government to accompany and support them, but they are being handled with municipal resources.

To this, the situation generated at the end of March is added when, in the cultural chamber, 50 young people from Mali seemed to be expelled by the Spanish government and were about to end up on the streets.

All of them, waiting for asylum, when the Municipal Council contacts the responsible entity to provide them with a place, they find out that they cannot participate because they are «overwhelmed». However, according to the Ministry’s data, the occupancy rate in this city, with approximately 1,600 seats, is 89%, leading Orós to believe that the ministry «forces them to block places to accommodate more people».

Collaboratively, Mariam Orós invited the spokesperson of the Spanish Government and the General Secretary of PSOE-Aragón, Pilar Alegría, to accompany him «in situ» over a weekend from Zaragoza to witness this reality and realize that a significant portion of the people in this situation «should not be in this situation».

«It is emphasized by Orós, dignity, not speaking of them or treating these individuals as burdens for the rest of Spain, and having municipalities take care of our resources, but rather having the capacity, budget, and competence to take control».

This invitation was also extended to Fernando Beltán, reminding that all this data should be provided by the Aragón government delegation to the local council.

The Municipal Minister of Social Policies took the opportunity to mention that by the end of this year, possibly in October or November, the new shelter facilities will be available. There will be two pavilions for emergencies and crisis situations, previously used for cold and heat emergencies until 2023, to be regularly open.

Prefabricated facilities are also being maintained, providing forty places for various cases that may arise, with the technical transfer to the new building, allowing for the creation of ten to fifteen places for women who may be in a situation of homelessness.

Additionally, collaboration with a social entity to open some houses is in progress, initially starting with a few houses, with the intention of expanding to work with more young people in homelessness situations.

According to this presentation, ORÓS stated that the «commitment and attention» of the Municipal Council in Zaragoza towards all migrants and refugees «cannot replace the responsibility of the Spanish Government». «We cannot assume without means or support what the Spanish Government fails to manage, and I am not sure if this is due to lack of knowledge or lack of will,» he said.

FUENTE