Friday, February 04, 2005
The foreigners in Spain-
Notes for a discussion
A) The numbers
We are dealing with two groups:
The mostly Europeans coming to buy or having bought a property
The immigrants from the third world.
The tourists do not enter our study.
Group 1: Fipe estimates that there are now 1,5 million properties owned by foreigners in Spain (more than 90% Europeans), with an average of 2 persons per property, or 3 million people with specific situation, problems and interests. Only 80% of the foreign owners are residents. But the non-resident owners have the same problems and interests.
Group 2: The National Office of Statistics reports that there are a total of 2.664.168 people empadronados per 1st of January 2003, or 6,2% of the total population in Spain (up from 1,6% in 1998. 1.032.129 of them comes from Latin America, 587.686 from the European Union, 522.682 from Africa and 348.585 from the rest of Europe.
Summing up: The foreigners in Spain is already an important social group in Spain, rapidly increasing. The foreigners from the third world increasing faster than the Europeans.
B) The situations
The situations of the two groups are very different:
Group 1 is sometimes affected by fraud and lack of information in the purchase and ownership; by a lack of interest and attention from the administration; by abuses under urbanistic laws threatening their properties and economy; the insecurity of the system of notifications, and by being considered a “milking cow” by taxes and charges.
Group 2 is mainly striving to obtain a residence and work permit; find a dwelling and proper work; avoid bureaucratically hassle and mistreatment, and secure the same payment for the same work as the Spanish. As property buyers and owners they have the same problems as the first group.
Summing up: The differences are greater than the joint interest. But since there are no conflicts between the two groups, the possibility of a limited collaboration should be studied.
C) The issues
The main issues where the foreigners in group 1 have joined forces and fought for their interests, are the following:
I. The work against the fraud in the property sale and lack of protection for the foreign buyers in the years from 1982 to 1989, led by the Institute of Foreign Property Owners, first denouncing the situation in the town halls and to the national government, and since no results satisfaction was given, the issue was presented in the European Parliament that appointed MEP Edward MacMillan-Scott as “rapporteur”. As a result of the report came “hearings” in the national parliament and in 1989 Law Decree 515, giving more security for the buyers.
II. The work to get the vote for the Europeans in local elections, a campaign started already in 1983 by the Institute, and continued by the organisation Ciudadanos Europeos, leading to the granting of the vote in local and European elections.
III. The campaign led by Ciudadanos Europeos from 1995 to establish a permanent relation between the organisations of foreigners and the national administration (proposal for a national council for the European Citizenship) and improved information to foreign buyers and owners (resulting in the establishment of the Fundacion Instituto de Propietarios Extranjeros in 1998, to be funded by the Generalitat Valenciana, that partly forgot their promise and placed FIPE and also Ciudadanos Europeos in a difficult position).
IV. The fight against the urbanistic abuses under the Valencian law LRAU, led by the association Abusos Urbanisticos NO, with a strong participation also of Spanish citizens, again leading to the European Parliament, resulting in a report denouncing the law and the practises. This work continues and has attracted a great interest in medias all over the world.
There have also been many local issues taken up by groups and associations of foreigners, like denunciation of the urbanistic policy on Costa del Sol by Foro de Benalmadena, a federation of owners on 14 urbanisations, and the organisation of Neighbourhood Watches, mostly consentrated in the Torrevieja area.
Summing up: It has been proved that it is possible to mobilise the foreigners to work against abuses and for their interests. Some important issues have been resolved, while others are still pending.
D) The organisations
There are hundreds of associations, clubs and groups for the foreigners or where the foreigners take an active or leading part, both for the people in group 1 as in group 2.
The great majority of the associations and clubs for the foreigners in group 1 are local, based on one nationality or one foreign language, and mostly concentrating on leisure, entertainment and “information light”. Many of them are not very stable, relying on one person or a small group of volunteers and contributors. However, some of them have supported the work on some of the main issues mentioned under C). There exist also some federations of local associations of the same type, often linked to one nationality or language.
The only national association for the foreigners, discussing and taking up general, national issues, has so far been Ciudadanos Europeos. The association Abusos Urbanisticos NO has grown into a strong regional organisation in the Valencia region, and starts to spread out to other regions.
There are also a great number of foreigners publications and radio station, catering to a specific language group in one area. They play an important role in informing the foreigners on local issues and events.
Summing up: Many foreigners are taking part in associations of different kind. But it has been difficult to find forms of joining the foreigners in a national organisation, due to the language differences, the great spread of the foreigners settlement and the problem that 80% of them are non-residents.
E) A program
If one should draw up a program for the foreigners in group 1, it would probably have the following main content:
A system for collecting and spreading vital information in the various languages English, German, Scandinavian, Dutch and French, aiming at the foreign buyers, owners and taxpayers. It must be run by the foreigners themselves, knowing the situation and the problems, but financed by the administration in an irrevocable and secured manner. A central web-page is an essential part of this system, but also local information offices.
The establishment of a National Council for the European Citizenship, where the foreigners organisations can discuss with the national and regional administration the problems, issues and proposal in a continuous manner.
No more urbanistic abuses, and restrictions to the extensive and frenetic construction,
A system of notifications to the foreign property owners taking their special situation into account.
Summing up: Such a program should be acceptable to all foreigners in Spain, and supported by all foreigners associations, even if we may expect some of them not to want to act outside their limited aims and charter.
F) An action plan
The foreigners in Spain need a permanent national organisation, able to speak in their names on general issues contained in an approved program and represent them in relation to the administration. Such a federation of association, or a standing conference of foreigners organisation, would not in any way intervene in the work of the associations, it would not preclude the setting up of combative organisations in special issues and it would be neutral in relation to the different political parties and governments.
The organisations with only one issue, like Abusos Urbanisticos NO, tend to disintegrate once the issue has been resolved, or if it seems that the issue may not be resolved in this form or time. The great energy and force generated in AUN must not be lost, and even if the fight against the abuses be won at this moment, one must have a permanent “firebrigade” to prevent them coming back in another form. Due to its strength and activity, AUN could take the initiative to establish a permanent organisation for the foreigners in Spain.
Summing up: The way to go, could be to draw up a program and invite all foreigners associations, clubs and groups to come to a first national conference of the European citizens in Spain, with the aim to form a federation or a standing conference. We could get the support (also economical) from the administration to arrange the conference.
Notes for a discussion
A) The numbers
We are dealing with two groups:
The mostly Europeans coming to buy or having bought a property
The immigrants from the third world.
The tourists do not enter our study.
Group 1: Fipe estimates that there are now 1,5 million properties owned by foreigners in Spain (more than 90% Europeans), with an average of 2 persons per property, or 3 million people with specific situation, problems and interests. Only 80% of the foreign owners are residents. But the non-resident owners have the same problems and interests.
Group 2: The National Office of Statistics reports that there are a total of 2.664.168 people empadronados per 1st of January 2003, or 6,2% of the total population in Spain (up from 1,6% in 1998. 1.032.129 of them comes from Latin America, 587.686 from the European Union, 522.682 from Africa and 348.585 from the rest of Europe.
Summing up: The foreigners in Spain is already an important social group in Spain, rapidly increasing. The foreigners from the third world increasing faster than the Europeans.
B) The situations
The situations of the two groups are very different:
Group 1 is sometimes affected by fraud and lack of information in the purchase and ownership; by a lack of interest and attention from the administration; by abuses under urbanistic laws threatening their properties and economy; the insecurity of the system of notifications, and by being considered a “milking cow” by taxes and charges.
Group 2 is mainly striving to obtain a residence and work permit; find a dwelling and proper work; avoid bureaucratically hassle and mistreatment, and secure the same payment for the same work as the Spanish. As property buyers and owners they have the same problems as the first group.
Summing up: The differences are greater than the joint interest. But since there are no conflicts between the two groups, the possibility of a limited collaboration should be studied.
C) The issues
The main issues where the foreigners in group 1 have joined forces and fought for their interests, are the following:
I. The work against the fraud in the property sale and lack of protection for the foreign buyers in the years from 1982 to 1989, led by the Institute of Foreign Property Owners, first denouncing the situation in the town halls and to the national government, and since no results satisfaction was given, the issue was presented in the European Parliament that appointed MEP Edward MacMillan-Scott as “rapporteur”. As a result of the report came “hearings” in the national parliament and in 1989 Law Decree 515, giving more security for the buyers.
II. The work to get the vote for the Europeans in local elections, a campaign started already in 1983 by the Institute, and continued by the organisation Ciudadanos Europeos, leading to the granting of the vote in local and European elections.
III. The campaign led by Ciudadanos Europeos from 1995 to establish a permanent relation between the organisations of foreigners and the national administration (proposal for a national council for the European Citizenship) and improved information to foreign buyers and owners (resulting in the establishment of the Fundacion Instituto de Propietarios Extranjeros in 1998, to be funded by the Generalitat Valenciana, that partly forgot their promise and placed FIPE and also Ciudadanos Europeos in a difficult position).
IV. The fight against the urbanistic abuses under the Valencian law LRAU, led by the association Abusos Urbanisticos NO, with a strong participation also of Spanish citizens, again leading to the European Parliament, resulting in a report denouncing the law and the practises. This work continues and has attracted a great interest in medias all over the world.
There have also been many local issues taken up by groups and associations of foreigners, like denunciation of the urbanistic policy on Costa del Sol by Foro de Benalmadena, a federation of owners on 14 urbanisations, and the organisation of Neighbourhood Watches, mostly consentrated in the Torrevieja area.
Summing up: It has been proved that it is possible to mobilise the foreigners to work against abuses and for their interests. Some important issues have been resolved, while others are still pending.
D) The organisations
There are hundreds of associations, clubs and groups for the foreigners or where the foreigners take an active or leading part, both for the people in group 1 as in group 2.
The great majority of the associations and clubs for the foreigners in group 1 are local, based on one nationality or one foreign language, and mostly concentrating on leisure, entertainment and “information light”. Many of them are not very stable, relying on one person or a small group of volunteers and contributors. However, some of them have supported the work on some of the main issues mentioned under C). There exist also some federations of local associations of the same type, often linked to one nationality or language.
The only national association for the foreigners, discussing and taking up general, national issues, has so far been Ciudadanos Europeos. The association Abusos Urbanisticos NO has grown into a strong regional organisation in the Valencia region, and starts to spread out to other regions.
There are also a great number of foreigners publications and radio station, catering to a specific language group in one area. They play an important role in informing the foreigners on local issues and events.
Summing up: Many foreigners are taking part in associations of different kind. But it has been difficult to find forms of joining the foreigners in a national organisation, due to the language differences, the great spread of the foreigners settlement and the problem that 80% of them are non-residents.
E) A program
If one should draw up a program for the foreigners in group 1, it would probably have the following main content:
A system for collecting and spreading vital information in the various languages English, German, Scandinavian, Dutch and French, aiming at the foreign buyers, owners and taxpayers. It must be run by the foreigners themselves, knowing the situation and the problems, but financed by the administration in an irrevocable and secured manner. A central web-page is an essential part of this system, but also local information offices.
The establishment of a National Council for the European Citizenship, where the foreigners organisations can discuss with the national and regional administration the problems, issues and proposal in a continuous manner.
No more urbanistic abuses, and restrictions to the extensive and frenetic construction,
A system of notifications to the foreign property owners taking their special situation into account.
Summing up: Such a program should be acceptable to all foreigners in Spain, and supported by all foreigners associations, even if we may expect some of them not to want to act outside their limited aims and charter.
F) An action plan
The foreigners in Spain need a permanent national organisation, able to speak in their names on general issues contained in an approved program and represent them in relation to the administration. Such a federation of association, or a standing conference of foreigners organisation, would not in any way intervene in the work of the associations, it would not preclude the setting up of combative organisations in special issues and it would be neutral in relation to the different political parties and governments.
The organisations with only one issue, like Abusos Urbanisticos NO, tend to disintegrate once the issue has been resolved, or if it seems that the issue may not be resolved in this form or time. The great energy and force generated in AUN must not be lost, and even if the fight against the abuses be won at this moment, one must have a permanent “firebrigade” to prevent them coming back in another form. Due to its strength and activity, AUN could take the initiative to establish a permanent organisation for the foreigners in Spain.
Summing up: The way to go, could be to draw up a program and invite all foreigners associations, clubs and groups to come to a first national conference of the European citizens in Spain, with the aim to form a federation or a standing conference. We could get the support (also economical) from the administration to arrange the conference.
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