Entrevista a Xavier Bosch, director general de Inmigración de la Generalitat “No es aceptable que después de dos generaciones una persona diga que es inmigrante; el objetivo de este país es que sea catalán”
“La sentencia del Tribunal Supremo contra la inmersión lingüística es un atentado a la convivencia de este país"
“El reglamento de la ley de acogida y la creación de la Agencia Catalana de Inmigración son nuestros dos grandes objetivos para esta legislatura”
Carlos Gómez
El nuevo director general de Inmigración de la Generalitat, Xavier Bosch, answers in this interview to the circumstances surrounding his appointment and reveals some of the priorities will be its management. Bosch is also positioned on the integral veil, the denial of registration to illegal immigrants and the role of municipalities in family reunification. For office rang
first Àngel Colom, the head of Immigration CiU, which has been working with for many years. Then it would be leaked Josep Pera Councilman CiU in Badalona. Have you come to put the rebound, after Colombia and Pera were discarded for various reasons?
Not at all. Colom himself is dismissed for engaging in these primeros meses a la continuidad del trabajo en el partido, donde hay una serie de proyectos muy interesantes de consolidación del movimiento de ‘nous cataláns’, y para el cargo de director general había varios nombres sobre la mesa. Tanto el president Mas como el conseller Cleries, después de consultar y recoger opiniones, optaron por mi nombre. En todo caso, no me corresponde a mí decir los motivos. Yo no entré en este debate. De todas formas, creo que todos los nombres que se barajaban eran perfectamente válidos para el cargo.
¿Ha sido una sorpresa para usted?
No, porque ya sabía que era candidato. Unas semanass antes del Secretariado de Inmigración de Convergencia me propuso como candidato.
But the Secretariat was surprised that he propose? Since
Colom opted not to this office within the Secretariat, perhaps the best positioned person I was.
When it leaked out that the CEO would Josep Pera, what is said in the Secretariat Convergence Immigration?
That, after the work done in recent years by the Secretariat, it would be appropriate that the CEO had a direct link to it. We also knew it was a leak that went not know where, but there was no decision.
It has been said that the president opted Artur Mas for you rather than pressure from Colom Pera? Will you be a straw man Colom?
Not at all. I'll be the director general of Immigration and continue to be a member of the Secretariat of Convergence. This is not a man of one thing or another, but to follow a political line that has been marked from a program developed by a secretariat which won the elections.
of your resume is clear that his relationship with has focused mainly in Morocco and the Arab world. Immigration Is this the greatest concern to the Government? What can you expect from your management and Latin American immigrants?
I can not say you have a special predilection por el mundo árabe. Estuve en Marruecos porque coincidió que la Generalitat, cuando Mas era conseller en cap, abrir delegaciones en países de origen de mucha inmigración. Se comenzó por Marruecos porque en aquellos años la mayoría de la inmigración en Cataluña venía de Marruecos, pero había el proyecto de abrir otra en Latinoamérica y posiblemente en algún otro país emisor de inmigrantes. No se trataba tanto de la política del tripartito de abrir embajadas de prestigio como de abrir delegaciones útiles para canalizar la inmigración y la contratación de trabajadores en origen. Lo que pasa es que con el cambio de Gobierno y el cierre de esta delegación en Marruecos no pudimos consolidar muchos de los trabajos y de las líneas de actuación que habíamos empezado.
¿Es partidario de extender la prohibición del velo integral a toda Cataluña?
Sí. No es de recibo que se pueda aceptar la presencia de personas completamente tapadas en esta sociedad. Es un tema que tiene una cierta sensibilidad, porque tiene un fondo religioso, pero hay que abrir un debate con el mundo musulmán para que el tema pueda ser asumido; que se entienda no como un recelo a una religión, sino como una exigencia de respeto a unos valores que existen aquí. En este punto creo que no deberíamos transigir. Pero no es una prioridad en estos momentos. En este tema habría otra prioridad que también está en nuestro programa: crear in this legislature in Catalonia a council of Muslim worship, that is, a platform that is the intermediary between this religion and the government or the Catalan institutions in general where to channel all these debates. At the moment there is an institution supported by the entire world that can be the speaker. The burka issue would have to be agreed with the platform.
What do you think the denial of registration to illegal immigrants?
've always said that leaving off the list of citizens who are undocumented is not the solution, understanding that municipalities need more support, more resources, because they are the ones who have to deal every day with all citizens and servicing. The refusal to register in the register to certain people in principle can be a form of protest to note the critical situation in which there are the municipalities, but not the best solution and I think that perhaps it could worsen the situation of many people .
CiU has supported or at least has not explicitly rejected (abstained) motions filed by the PP and the PSC in some Catalan municipalities to seek refusal of family reunification and residence permits for immigrants antisocial roots, after municipal report. Will also extend to the Government this tightening of immigration policy? Precisely the proposal
the rules of the immigration law that regulates the English Government. All these motions they did was advise that the reports of regrouping or any immigration processing municipal decision would be binding. The draft regulation gives the powers to regulate this issue to the autonomous communities, which can transfer them to the municipalities or not. What we want is to agree with the municipalities that mechanisms are established. I doubt that the reports of the municipalities may be binding, but it is quite clear that a negative report of the council would request the denial of permission has been made. Your role will be critical. What we want from the Government is not arbitrary. We can not let each municipality set its code of civility different and the same person in a town hall and see a positive opinion I see another negative. Our goal is to agree with everyone local homogeneous criteria for Catalonia. What do you expect
pilot integral action in Catalonia neighborhoods with high rates of immigrants will begin to develop in Salt and other municipalities?
On Friday (11 February) are going to Salt to sign. It is an agreement between the City and the Department of Social Welfare and Family of the Government that will be attended by Secretary of State Anna Terron and mine to invest a certain amount of money to strengthen the activities and integration programs that are already doing. The council has its plans and programs of integration that include a variety of actions they are doing. In the case of Salt, as in El Vendrell, L'Hospitalet, Badalona and Terrassa is making an extraordinary contribution that is allocated by the state from a European Union funds for integration. There are pilot schemes, no longer an experiment. Then there will be to analyze what has been its result. In principle, we hope that these plans can contribute to the pacification of the population of Salt and the integration and social cohesion.
Are you in favor of distributing immigrant children to prevent any school has more than 50%, as proposed by the mayor of Salt?
This is a problem with the Regional Minister of Education on the table. My opinion, and the Directorate General of Immigration, is that the presence of immigrant children, not the immigrants but being new to the town, in one class should not exceed certain limits. It is important to create social cohesion natives who live with the newcomers. Disperse through the different municipalities of the environment is a possibility, but there is another: to strengthen educational lines in the municipality.
¿Va a mantener la Generalitat su apuesta por la inmersión lingüística?
Absolutamente sí.
¿Qué opinión le merece la sentencia del Tribunal Supremo en contra de esta medida?
Es un atentado a la convivencia de este país. Y no es una opinión del Gobierno; la sociedad civil en Cataluña tiene muy claro que el factor de integración y de cohesión social número uno es la lengua catalana. A partir de que una persona la conoce ya ha dado pasos de gigante para su integración social. Desde la Generalitat haremos todo los posible para superar esta sentencia. Es una cuestión de supervivencia y de futuro; no es una cuestión anecdótica. La inmersión lingüística es una apuesta that made this country a very consensus for many years, comes to fruition and must continue on this line.
Would you, as Mayor Vic, that immigrants have to force them to be Catalan?
disagree on the word force, but it is essential to integration. I do not force them, but I invite you to be Catalans for their sake, for their future, the future of their children. Is not it a party or government, is an idea of \u200b\u200bthe country. Catalonia is an open, friendly, always has been big or small migration has opened the doors, but instead has asked that there is a willingness to integrate and express their desire to stop being immigrants. It is not acceptable after two or three generations a person says that is an immigrant. The person who makes an effort to stop being an immigrant integration, may be new Catalan, but the goal of this country is that Catalan is dry. Therefore, the substance of the words of Mayor Vic I do mine.
The central government has just presented its proposal for a regulation of the new Aliens Act, which sanctioned the transfer of powers to the regions on immigration. Although not yet have had time to read the document thoroughly, what do you think of the news that have transpired?
of all, the assessment is quite positive because it reflects pacts that were taken at the time in which CiU had a role, reflecting a willingness to cede many of the powers of immigration to the Catalan Government. We have new powers to the reunification issue, renewal of permits and all matters where you have to give an opinion, in which we will negotiate with the municipalities because they are the relationship with citizens. We will consider whether to make amendments, but in general the overall approach seems satisfactory. Of course we would like in the future have our own Aliens Act and to decide as a country which is the flow of immigration that every moment you can hit. What is your opinion
he deserves the registration process for immigrants to vote in municipal elections in May? What do you think there have been difficulties and the results have been obtained?
That the percentage of entries is so low is not positive. This does not mean that the group of countries that had agreements in order to register on the electoral roll is discouraged. I think there are many factors to be analyzed, especially the upcoming occasions. There were also some collective inexperience on this issue. There were factors that were at the counter, and the fact that the campaign began in full Christmas holiday, with many people in your country or simply distracted from the political attention because of the holidays. Then I think from the state has not contributed to a suficente disclosure, I have seen very few ads on television and the press. I think that has also influenced the local elections are far from mind, society is still not very aware that there are elections, and less among the immigrant population. And yet another factor: just out in late November, elections in Catalonia, after a very long campaign and intense. Even the parties themselves were a bit on 'stand by', and were key elements in mobilizing the vote. I think there was a weariness. All world was wanting to relax. And when the people have returned to the political, it had finished the registration period, which, while it lengthened, it was still too short. It is not a satisfactory rate, but 14% of the citizens of these countries expressed their intention to vote, they are welcome, with open doors to decide the future of our cities, and I hope that in future elections the collective experience all allow us to increase this percentage so that participation is at least 50 or 60%, which is usually given in an election with the census closed, as is our tradition. What priorities
has the Directorate of Immigration for this term?
There are a few clear priorities. The first relates to the rules of the Aliens Act and the regulations of the host law, to define exactly how all of the host system of immigration in Catalonia: the role of each institution, the budget contributions, etc. ., and above all to reassure the affected legal, so you know exactly what steps must be done, where and what are you going to demand. Another issue that is on the table is the creation of the Catalan Immigration. The Directorate General continues to be a small body within the Government. Greatly improve our efficiency, with an extension of the structure and functions, if we channel everything through a Catalan Immigration. This is provided in the National Pact on Immigration and was in our manifesto. It is a complicated issue because legally it is a slow process and needs a budget contribution, but does not prevent from and start working in his studio. My will as CEO is to be created before the end of this term. Besides, another priority, if you can call it that, is to maintain contact with community associations to know their status, their requests and interests, and go formulating policies from this knowledge.
What is your opinion of the Latin American group in Catalonia and what specific measures it plans to take to them?
is a group with which I have a special relationship both personally and acting years. I want to emphasize their ability to self-organization and creation of representative bodies, which gives a very interesting dynamic and allows for easier dialogue with them. I hope, from the Directorate General, to continue working with them, deepening the previous lines of future participation.
