The Associations of Immigrants of the Balearic Islands, which is made up of 25 different groups, has made several complaints about the Oficina de Estranjería, or Foreign Office in Majorca.
The Platform of Immigrant Associations held a meeting in Palma last week which was attended by the Presidents of several strands, including Senegal, Venezuela and Al Maghreb and the Balearic Government’s Director General of Social Affairs, Teresa Vallespir.
They criticised the Oficina de Extranjería over several issues, claiming that it’s extremely difficult to secure an appointment in advance to process applications for residencia, regroup family members or obtain permission to stay in Spain.
They also accused Balearic Public Institutions of changing migration policies in the wake of the economic crisis in Spain and “neglecting the development of social and cultural integration programs for migrants.”
Integration
The Associations complained about the proliferation of xenophobic and hateful attitudes towards migrants, which they believe are a threat to their security and prevent them from being accepted into society.
“The Platform of Immigrant Associations of the Balearic Islands denounces this situation, and will use all democratic means at its disposal to urge public institutions to take appropriate measures to meet the demands of the immigrant population in the Balearic Islands,” they said.