Migration and social inclusion in the city of Bilbao

Considering what was presented in the first part of the session, the participants worked in groups to identify the challenges for the full participation of immigrant people and groups in the city of Bilbao: CHALLENGES IN THE ECONOMIC AREA

• Difficulties in changing the student status so that they can combine it with work activities or develop them after completing their studies. Highly skilled immigrant labour force - difficulties for inclusion in the local labour market.
• Difficulties for immigrant families (or immigrant mothers) receiving benefits to cope with payments (services) that must be fulfilled prior to the payment of benefits.
• Access to work
• Housing prices

CHALLENGES IN THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL AREA

• Exercise of the right to the city: Exacerbated surveillance of meeting places or places frequented by migrants. Mistrust in the use of public spaces by these groups. Police treatment of certain migrant groups.
• Basque - from being a possible element of integration in the local culture, it has become a requirement that excludes and hinders access and integration of both immigrant workers and students. Price reinforcement Ikastolas and the (impossible) compatibility with working life (what immigrant worker or job-seeker has the time/financial means to study 4 or 5 hours of Basque daily?)
• Bilbao society is still quite uninformed about elements of social inclusion of migrant people and groups (they are afraid of them, they have prejudices, etc.).
• The business sector in Bilbao (Basque in general), when it manages to attract international talent to its companies, does not know how to socially integrate these people. There are no plans for the social integration of immigrant workers in local companies - it is not known how and what needs a foreign person arriving in a company has (administrative and social integration aspects) - Establishment of intercultural teams.
• Aporophobia applied to migrants
• Access to housing
• Integration process

CHALLENGES IN THE POLITICAL AREA

• Difficulty for foreign families to enter the education system in Basque - need for more support, information and accompaniment (structural)
• Migration has changed (profiles) a lot in recent years, but Bilbao and its administrative, political and socio-economic structures have not.
• Law on foreigners - its restrictions affect the life of an immigrant in different areas.
• Price regulation - housing prices - rent