The Catalan town of Sant Sadurní d’Anoia aims to deploy agents to counterbalance prejudices and stereotypes concerning its foreign residents, with the aim to prevent conflicts and promote mutual understanding The foreign community represents 9.3% of the population.
Catalonia would have lost 60,000 residents by the end of 2011, according to the INE. For the first time in decades, Catalonia's population will fall this year. In the next ten years, Spain’s population would decrease by 1.2% if current demographic trends are maintained. At the end of 2010, Catalonia had 7,512,000 residents and Spain 47,021,000.
Mowafak Kanfach asks for the Syrian regime to be taken to the International Criminal Court. He is living in Barcelona because he was forced to leave his country because of political reasons.
The NGO against xenophobic discrimination denounces that public expenditure cuts hit immigrants hardest. 'SOS Racisme' also denounces police abuse cases against immigrants and alerts on the raise of extreme-right in some Catalan towns.
The study is funded by Catalan savings bank ‘la Caixa’ with data at Spanish-level. It reveals, contrary to xenophobic statements that immigrants bring more revenue to the state than the costs they generate. In addition, their presence also brings more services. “We came to the conclusion than the impact of immigration in the Welfare State is clearly positive”, states the coordinator of the study.
On May 22nd, Catalans will vote in their local elections. According to the recent polls the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) is well positioned to win in many cities, towns and villages across Catalonia, and in particular in Barcelona. CiU’s candidate may become the next Mayor of Barcelona after 32 years of Catalan Socialist Party (PSC) leadership. The same change could happen in Girona, where polls indicate a tie. However it seems the PSC will maintain control of Lleida and Tarragona City Councils. The People’s Party (PP) speech is of major significance with their focus being on immigration and security.
Xenophobic parties such as ‘Plataforma per Catalunya’ and ‘Vía Democrática’ are growing in the Left-Wing bastions near the Catalan capital. They are still very marginal but for the first time they could win some seats in Barcelona neighbouring towns.
The Catalan Government announced that knowledge of the Catalan language will be a “very determining” factor in proving integration in Catalonia in order to renew residency certificates or family grouping.
Maria Busqué decided to move to Berlin so that she could live off a musician's income, something she found almost impossible in Catalonia. This is a story from the new Catalan emigration.
The total number of foreigners contributing to the Social Security system in Catalonia at the end of 2010 was 401,753 people. Three out of four foreigners in Catalonia come from outside the European Union.
"Although there is a very high standard in Barcelona, the clients are not the same”, this is the opinion of a Catalan web developer who is currently based in Manhattan. This is his story.
In Paris, back in 2005, the death of young boys fleeing from police, spread violence and unrest across the outer suburbs. Now, in Catalonia, the accident of a 16 year-old who fell from a building while escaping police, has sent a wave of violence and vandalism across the town of Salt, forcing the deployment of more security officers in the area.
A young Catalan architect with no employment opportunities at home opens an office in Paris to work on buildings in Asia.
“Our people have nothing to do with that activity and mentality”, affirmed the president of the Islamic community. WikiLeaks’ articles were picturing Catalonia as the main Yihadist area in Spain and were focusing on Badalona and the Pakistani community.
A study conducted by professors at the University of Lleida shows that immigrants spend less money on medication than natives. It also shows that inhabitants of rural areas spend more money on medication than those of urban areas.