The Socialist Municipal Group Councilor in the City Council of Albacete, Juani García, urged this morning the Manuel Serrano government team, during the People and Equality Commission, to urgently convene the Municipal Immigration Council.
In fact, Juani García reminded the councilor in charge of this area, Llanos Navarro, that this body has only been convened once, in September 2023, during the previous term, despite the fact that «the Municipal Immigration Council is the participation, consultation, information, and proposal body, where all actions and projects affecting immigration at the municipal level must be analyzed.»
Furthermore, as Juani García pointed out, not convening this body, «where about twenty collectives, associations, and NGOs are represented; all administrations and municipal political groups; FAVA, CCOO and UGT trade unions, and the employers’ association, is to deprive participation, because this is the collegiate body that we have established to analyze all matters related to immigration.»
At this point, the Socialist councilor argued that «it is curious that a person who likes to present themselves and boast of their willingness to promote participation, then, when it comes down to it, finds it so difficult to convene municipal bodies for this purpose and seeks shortcuts to replace participation with publicity.»
Therefore, Juani García has requested the councilor entrusted by Manuel Serrano with the People and Equality area to, instead or at least in addition to «informing in press releases or interventions in the Plenary, which more resemble a rally for Serrano than anything else, because it does not allow the possibility of rebuttal or even asking for clarification on any point, they must convene the Municipal Immigration Council, as it is supported by the regulating regulations and there all collectives and administrations have the opportunity to analyze, audit, and propose on equal terms.»
«PARTICIPATION DOES NOT ADMIT SHORTCUTS OR COVER-UPS»
Additionally, García Vitoria warned that «this is the only body where it is appropriate to analyze the projects and actions related to immigration, we will not accept that, through the back door, other forums are convened to cover up, as they are neither the channel nor the means to ensure real and fruitful participation.»
The Municipal Immigration Council, Juani García emphasized, is «the appropriate body where Manuel Serrano must report on all actions carried out by the City Council in the settlements of the city, but also where he must report on issues such as the renewal of the agreement that allows temporary workers who will arrive in our city in a few weeks to work in various agricultural campaigns, in the facilities of the Seminary, and which has arrived at the Commission off the agenda today.»
Likewise, the Socialist councilor added, in this «Council as well, Manuel Serrano should report on the status of two key projects, to provide a dignified solution to people living in the settlements. On the one hand, the Comprehensive Care Center for Temporary Workers, designed for people who come to our city during agricultural campaigns; and, on the other hand, the Nueva Dehesa, intended to accommodate even families with minors in their care, living in subhuman conditions.»
For this reason, Juani García concluded by reiterating both the urgency and the convenience of «Manuel Serrano convening the Municipal Immigration Council as soon as possible, because promoting participation or caring about irregular settlements requires much more than just declaring it out loud or sending a press release.»