Spain – Generating new opportunities
Last December, seven migrants who had been in administrative irregularity were able to start working in entities of the Social Sector of the Society of Jesus in Catalonia. Through the ACOL line, a subsidy from the Generalitat, which provides financial resources for hiring, the necessary job offers were processed so that people in the country could access regular and accompanying work for over three years. This fundamental step allows them to have a dignified life as citizens with full rights.
In Catalonia, there are close to 100,000 people in an irregular situation. In Spain as a whole, this figure rises, according to most estimates, to half a million people. A dramatic situation that forces hundreds of thousands of people of immigrant origin to live precariously in the underground economy and often without access to essential services. In our context, marked by a law on foreigners that needs to be thoroughly reformed or repealed, social roots are one of the few loopholes in the system that allows migrants to try to obtain a first residence and work permit.
The Migra Studium Foundation supported selecting and preparing five candidates, and Arrels Sant Ignasi in Lleida helped two others. The regularised persons have been incorporated in maintenance tasks, reception, food bank, leisure monitor activities, care of the vegetable garden and support to the various projects.
This is a joint action of the Jesuit Social Sector in Catalonia that aims, first of all, to give opportunities to people in vulnerable situations and to demonstrate in a very concrete way that migrants can escape from irregularity. In addition, incorporating these workers into the teams offers additional support to the organisations, which are receiving increased requests for help in these times of social and economic crisis. And, finally, to create a culture of shared work that allows for the consolidation of a more comprehensive and wide-ranging action as a Sector.
Applications for this programme are currently being processed, with the participation of all the organisations in the Sector.
Source : socialjesuitas.es
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