Bilbao, with around 350.000 inhabitants, is the capital of Biscay and the economic, social and cultural centre of the Basque Country. Due to the profound crisis in the 80s that affected its fundamental economic sectors (metallurgy, steel and naval), the city needed to reinvent itself and face great challenges: high rates of unemployment, environmental and urban degradation, strong internal emigration and the emergence of social marginalisation issues. Bilbao was able to achieve a transformation thanks to local political management, public-private and inter-institutional cooperation, and its success was acknowledged on the world stage: the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize (2010), the European Public Sector Award (EPSA) 2011 for the project “Political Management based on Financial Rigor and Strategic Budgets”, culminating in the World Mayor award bestowed on mayor D. Iñaki Azkuna in 2012.

Population diversity
The most important ethnic group of Bilbao –people with Spanish nationality– constitutes 91.85% of the city’s inhabitants. People with Spanish nationality could be foreign-born, but national/non-national are the categories used by the Spanish administrations. Only 8.15% are non-nationals: this figure has notably increased in the last 10 years. In 2003, foreign population in Bilbao constituted 3.1% of the city’s inhabitants. There is no minority group that represents 5% or more of the population, although nationals from Latin-American countries represent 48.3% of foreign population. The largest minority groups originate from Bolivia (1.19%), Colombia (0.72%), Morocco (0.71%), Romania (0.67%) and China (0.53%). As of 1 January 2013, the estimated percentage of foreign-born nationals resident in the city was 2.48%.
Profile and activities

Similar to other European cities that have developed successful strategies through the creative management of diversity, the city hall of Bilbao designed and executed the Municipal Plan for Diversity Management BI-OPEN (2011-2013) to construct a city that is educative in values of coexistence and open to diversity. In its evaluation, the result of citizen participation (both natives and foreigners) and the participation of RECI enabled the design of a Local Strategy of Diversity Management, the execution of which is scheduled for the coming years. The final objective: fostering integration, social cohesion and coexistence from an intercultural perspective.

Intercultural Cities Index
Good practice

Back Local Council of immigration

Promote political participation of immigrants.

The Local Council of Immigration is a collegial body that has consultative and informative natures. It has the vocation of guaranteeing the democratic participation of immigrant associations and their interaction with other agents involved in the development and promotion of the integration and coexistence policies in the different areas of political, cultural, economic and social life in the City of Bilbao.

Objectives:

  1. To participate in the Integration and intercultural coexistence program leaded by Bilbao City Council
  2. To promote access to information for the foreign population and improve communication.
  3. To encourage the exchange of information, work in common and the coordination of activities between immigrant associations.
  4. To strengthen immigrant associations
  5. To become an interlocutor of the situation of the immigrant population and to communicate the information to Bilbao City Council.

20 associations of migrants, local political parties and the Councillor of Equality, Cooperation and Coexistence take part in the Local Council of immigration.

The Local Council of Immigration meets in plenary twice a year.

Activities to be realised in 2018

  • Meetings with neighbourhood associations to promote intercultural coexistence in neighbourhoods.
  • Two working seminars between neighbourhood associations and associations of immigrants.
  • Exchange of experience, promote intercultural perspective in neighbourhood associations, meeting space between immigrants and locals.
  • Co-organization of activities between associations to celebrate the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development | 21 May.
  • Informative workshops on municipal resources:
    • Resource Guide
    • Registering as a resident
    • Access and financial report of local grants.
  • Follow-up workshop on the Municipal Citizenship and Diversity Plan
  • Seminar on teamwork and democratization of associative internal access to information
  • Design of the protocol of internal and external communication of the Local Council of the Immigration
  • Seminar about inclusive and non-sexist language
  • Action against gender violence on the occasion of November 25, International Day against gender violence
  • Activities to celebrate International Migrants Day 18 December
Implemented since 2011
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mayor

Juan María ABURTO

Network - Spain