Cartagena is the second-most important city in the region of Murcia, in the southwest of Spain. With a great archaeological value, Cartagena has encountered various cultures and civilizations during its tri-millennial history. The service sector (tourism), industry (chemical and naval) and agriculture are its main sources of employment today.

City status
Population diversity
With a population of 217,998 inhabitants as of January 2012, Cartagena is the second largest municipality in the Region. The most important ethnic group – people of Spanish origin – makes up 85.8% of the city’s inhabitants. Foreign residents without Spanish nationality account for 14.2% of the city’s population. The largest minority group in the city originates from Morocco (6%). Other minority groups are made up of majorly female nationals from the United Kingdom, Latin America (Ecuador, Columbia, Bolivia) and Eastern Europe (Rumania, Ukraine, Bulgaria), which taken together represent 4.7% of the city’s population. Roma populations have also been recorded in some areas.
Profile and activities

The city council of Cartagena is working on interculturality and diversity management since 1992. It started a joint action with all entities and NGOs in the area, considering that public power needs to undertake actions that foster an adequate coexistence, guarantee attention to new situations and accept competences under the Foreigner Law. The work that was realized by the Cartagena city hall was principally based on promoting measures aimed at integration processes, stabilizing coexistence, intercultural dialogue, social cohesion and development.

The Cartagena government adhered and commemorated the European Year against Racism (1997) and the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue (2008) and is working jointly with coordinators at the grass-root level, associations as well as integration and immigrant collectives. It established this work model as one of its principles for intercultural policies.

In 2007 the Immigration and Cooperation program was incorporated in the municipal structure to increase dynamism of diversity management in different municipal areas.

Intercultural Cities Index
good practice
2017 - ongoing Cartagena, Spain

Refugee Welcome and Integration Network

mayor

Ana BELÉN CASTEJÓN HERNÁNDEZ

Network - Spain
Useful links