The Plenary Hall of the Arrecife City Council hosted the official constitution of the first Sectoral Immigration Council (CSIA) on Tuesday, February 4th, a participatory and consultative body that seeks to actively integrate the immigrant community into the social, cultural, and economic life of the municipality.
The event was attended by the mayor, Yonathan de León, the deputy mayor, Echedey Eugenio, the councilor for Social Welfare, Maite Corujo, and the general director of Social Services and Immigration of the Government of the Canary Islands, Elisabet Santana.
The CSIA, approved in the municipal Plenary on September 27, 2024, has the main objective of guaranteeing a direct representation of the immigrant population in the matters that affect the city, and is composed of various public administrations and social entities committed to social cohesion and cultural diversity.
Arrecife currently has a resident population of 71,217 inhabitants (data from the last quarter of 2024 from the Municipal Statistics Department) and is the municipality with the smallest extension and the capital of the island, a city where most of the administrative, leisure and especially commercial activity is concentrated. Of this population that the municipality supports, more than 38% are people who come from other countries and a relevant fact is the existence of more than 100 different nationalities that converge in the city.
The mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, is pleased that the city is leading the coordination and teamwork with agents and groups through this Sectoral Immigration Council, which starts today.
During the act of constitution, the first mayor, president of the Council for its regulatory organization, thanked the presence of the general director of Social Services and Immigration of the Government of the Canary Islands, Elisabet Santana, and encouraged the associations and groups present "to row together in initiatives and projects that continue to strengthen integration and convenience in our municipality characterized by the multiculturalism of our population."
For her part, the councilor for Social Welfare, Immigration and Equality, Maite Corujo, highlighted the relevance of this body and stated that "today we are taking a fundamental step towards a more inclusive and participatory Arrecife. This Council will be a space for dialogue and collaboration where we will build solutions from active listening and mutual learning, adapting to the real needs of the immigrant community."
Corujo insists that the CSIA is not only a tool for integration, but also for the coordination and improvement of the services we offer from public institutions and social organizations. "We want to guarantee efficient and adapted responses to the needs of all groups," she stresses.
The process for the creation of this Council began in June 2024, when the regulation was submitted to public consultation, demonstrating the commitment of the Arrecife City Council to a participatory approach. After its approval in the Plenary, associations and entities were convened to be part of this project, which today materializes with its official constitution.
"We have a firm commitment to the inclusion and active participation of all its citizens, creating spaces that reinforce coexistence and mutual respect," the councilor asserts.
The act of constitution was also attended by Elisabet Santana, general director of Social Services and Immigration of the Government of the Canary Islands, who, together with the technical team coordinating the Canarias Convive program, showed their support and commitment to the municipality of Arrecife, before this innovative initiative, with which to seek points of approach that allow progress towards an intercultural society.
Canarias Convive is an intervention program for the strategic management of (im)migration and the promotion of intercultural coexistence in the Canary Islands. This program is an initiative promoted jointly by: the Government of the Canary Islands, through its Ministry of Social Welfare, Equality, Youth, Childhood and Families, and the University of La Laguna, through its General Foundation.
In the extraordinary session of constitution of the CSIA, the entities that have formalized their application, belonging to the third sector and the public administrations, have been admitted:
- Social and Cultural Association for Women of Lanzarote "Mararía".
- Cultural and Social Association Trib-Arte.
- Cáritas Diocesana de Canarias.
- Association of Social and Cultural Action Sal y Caña Canarias-Cuba.
- Cabildo Insular de Lanzarote, Social Welfare and Inclusion with the Area of Social Inclusion and Dept. of Minors and Family.
- Cultural and Sports Association of United Actions
- Canarian Coalition (CC)
- Popular Party (PP)
- Socialist Party (PSOE)
All applications registered in the electronic headquarters of the Arrecife City Council after the deadline will be submitted to the decision of the Plenary Council in an ordinary session to be held soon.
