Azorean Government convenes Regional Advisory Council for Immigration Affairs to implement immigration and integration measures - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades

The Azorean Government, through the Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities (SRAPC), convened today the Regional Advisory Council for Immigration Affairs (CCRAI) for a meeting focused on assessing and defining strategies for welcoming foreign citizens to the archipelago.

The working meeting, which marked the debut of the new conference room at the SRAPC headquarters in Ponta Delgada, was chaired by the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, accompanied by the Regional Director for the Communities, José Andrade. It brought together social partners, public entities and associations representing immigrants that make up this advisory body.

The meeting was also graced with the presence of Pedro Portugal Gaspar, President of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), and Carlos Mateus, President of the Integrated Citizen Support Network (RIAC).

As part of the agenda, the new Ordinance establishing the creation of Portuguese Language Courses in the Autonomous Region of the Azores was presented at the meeting.

With a view to responding to the hundreds of people on the waiting list, the Azorean Government is promoting a substantial increase in training initiatives.

"We had the opportunity to amend the ordinance by increasing instructors' hourly pay, from €19 per hour to €25," Paulo Estêvão explained, adding that the Government is challenging municipalities and the University of the Azores to join this training effort led by CRESAÇOR and AIPA.

The government official stated that the goal is to "end the waiting list as quickly as possible," aiming to clear it within a year and a half to two years.

The updated document of the Guide to Hiring Foreign Citizens in the Region was also presented at the event.

According to the Regional Secretary, this update aims to provide employers with complete and accurate information to overcome bureaucratic constraints, ensuring rapid and effective integration into the labour market.

During the meeting, the Regional Secretary announced the transfer of an adjoining building to the SRAPC premises in Ponta Delgada for the installation of the new headquarters of the Association of Immigrants in the Azores (AIPA).

"It is a long-standing aspiration of the association. The number of cases has increased significantly, and the current facilities are no longer adequate," he stressed.

In terms of decentralising migration policies, the Council also discussed the 4th Azores Migration Forum, to be held in April in the two municipalities of Flores and Corvo.

Paulo Estêvão justified the decision by pointing out the relevance of discussing the issue in the most remote areas of the Region, noting that the foreign population in Flores already exceeds 10% of the resident population.

With the regular revitalisation of this Advisory Council, the Azorean Government reiterates its commitment to building a pluralistic, inclusive and tolerant society, valuing the essential contribution of immigrant communities to the economic and cultural development of the Region.