Social entities from the Permanent Commission of the Local Council for Immigration and Interculturality (CLII) of Valencia, along with over thirty organizations and collectives, have expressed their disappointment with the "lack of political will" shown by the council for the adequate development of the extraordinary regularization process for immigrant individuals. In their view, the municipal action has been "insufficient and late".
They have reported that only "734 vulnerability reports have been issued, out of the 7,637 requested," while the entities estimate having issued nearly 20,000. Furthermore, they criticize the "practically null attention and guidance in the process," despite the City Council being aware in advance of the procedure's launch and the specific needs raised months prior.
Consequently, a significant portion of the attention, guidance, and support has fallen upon the social organizations, which have had to extend their hours and mobilize volunteers. They have stated they have found "no collaboration, not even dialogue, from the City Council".
The coordination meeting, agreed upon for March, was not convened until June, "when there was little room for action left." They have also criticized that the announcements to "strengthen Social Services" to support the process have not materialized, and that the budget modification of 2.6 million euros will not have an impact before the process concludes.
The entities estimate having issued "around 20,000" vulnerability certificates, compared to the 7,637 requested and 783 issued by the council as of June. This delay has forced many individuals to turn to other entities, creating duplication and hindering access to the procedure.
Additionally, they point to a "historical problem" regarding registration for "special cases," with applications remaining unanswered for over a year, which has excluded many individuals who could not prove the required period of stay.
The opposition, through Compromís councilwoman Lucía Beamud, has described the entities' statement as "an amendment in its entirety" to the management of the municipal government, PP and Vox, accusing them of dedicating themselves "to announcements and photos" while organizations took on the work.
For their part, the Councilor for Social Welfare and Immigration, Marta Torrado, has defended the municipal management, stating that 7,500 files have been opened and "all" processed, with 7,105 reports issued. She has described the accusations as "unfounded" and "disrespectful" towards the work of the council's civil servants, arguing that the process has been "chaotic" due to the lack of collaboration from the central government.
