A grant from the Alicante Diputacion has been provided to 21 municipalities in the Vega Baja to run Spanish courses, integration campaigns, advisory services and intercultural days, in order to provide improved support to foreign residents.

The Alicante Provincial Council is in the process of allocating 190,000 euros in aid which will benefit 67 municipalities and 5 associations in total.

The deputy of International Residents, Juan de Dios Navarro, said that the objective of these programs is to work with the local groups in the province in the development of projects and activities that “contribute to help, advise and integrate the many thousands of foreigners who they have chosen our province in which to live”.

Initiatives such as Spanish courses, awareness and integration campaigns, care and advisory services, information campaigns about the municipal register, volunteer programs, intercultural participation days and sports activities will all be subsidised.

“The demand for these types of projects has increased significantly in recent years given the importance that, for their full integration in Alicante, people must have a knowledge of Spanish or the legal and labour issues that concern them” Navarro said.

The municipalities in the Vega Baja region included in the scheme are Albatera, Algorfa, Almoradí, Benferri, Benijófar, Bigastro, Catral, Cox, Daya Nueva, Daya Vieja, Dolores, Granja de Rocamora, Guardamar del Segura, Jacarilla, Los Montesinos, Pilar de La Horadada, Rafal, Redován, San Isidro, San Miguel de Salinas and Torrevieja.

The associations include ‘Bajo Segura’ and ‘Servicios Sociales de la Vega’.