Update from
Xàbia
Democratica
Jávea leads the
fight for ExPat
Budget
In 2011, the Provincial Government
of Alicante - Unit of Foreign Citizens,
launched a program of integration
and collaboration called; Project
Optimiza. This is an initiative aimed
at policy makers and technicians of
the municipalities in the province of
Alicante where there is a significant
percentage of foreign residents.
The philosophy of the program
is the integration of activities
and projects among the various
municipalities, in order to optimise
the scarce resources available
to the municipalities for a subject
as broad as the foreign resident.
The Provincial Government through
the personnel attached to this
department, planned a programme
of activities and initiatives which
have been very successful among
the foreign community resident
in the province. Activities such
as,: programs for the promotion
of integration, advisory service
and for concerns of attention
to the residents. campaigns
of
enumeration,
information
campaigns about paperwork and
legality, courses in Spanish. The
object of all these programs is the
integration and improvement of
coexistence of a foreign population
that exceeds 25% of the population
of the province of Alicante and that
in many cases lacks the knowledge
and means for them to be assisted in
accessing the most basic services
that are available as citizens.
On February 3 a meeting was held
of the project Optimiza in Denia
the Town Hall attended by all the
Councillors of the area. Oscar
Anton Deputy Mayor attended on
behalf of Xabia . In this meeting it
was reported to those responsible
for this area in the Marina Alta that
the budget for 2015 of the provincial
government was now 193,223,234
euros, the budget allocated to the
implementation of programs on the
part of the Unit of Foreign Citizens
the Project Optimiza will have only
of 142,300.00 euros, with respect
to the figures for these same
programs in 2014 ,less 107,800.00
euros This will have the effect of the
disappearance of the funding for
items for grants to municipalities,
associations , and for non-profit
organisations, involved in activities
relating to foreign citizens.
Therefore
the
situation
is
Anomalous, a department that
assists 25% of the population
of the province will only be
allocated 0.0004 % of the budget.
The news was greeted with
astonishment by the audience.
OscarAnton Councillor the delegate
of Xabia in this area raised the
possibility of writing a motion to be
forwarded to all municipalities with
foreign residents to be proposed
at the next full meeting of all
the corresponding corporations.
The Motion proposed to request
the refund of the amount equal
to the previous year’s budget
2014. With that goal, the councillor
Oscar Anton drafted a motion
(attached) in order to acknowledge
the need to provide economically
to a department that is working
and providing assistance to 25
per cent of the population of
Alicante. Highlighting the high
degree of commitment that
exists between all departments
of foreign resident in the marina
Alta region, and in general
throughout the province of Alicante
He pointed out and that more than
80% of activities that are performed
in the departments of foreigners are
free and undertaken by volunteers
- i.e. cost 0 for the administration -,
the bu dget was oriented to basic
activities that served to assist in
areas such as social services
or increase awareness of the
needs for registration or courses
in spanish / valencian to promote
integration.
For all these reasons the Motion
will be put forward in the various
municipalities in the marina Alta