Nerea Melgosa highlights the potential of migrant youth as a pillar of an inclusive and diverse Basque society

• The Minister of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government participates in the opening of the XIII. Conference on Immigration and Integration in the Basque Country
• “Young migrants must be recognised as active agents of change, not just as observers,” said Melgosa

Nerea Melgosa, Minister of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government, today inaugurated the XIII Conference on Immigration and Integration in the Basque Country held under the title Juventud migrante: participación, convivencia y emancipación. (Migrant youth: participation coexistence and emancipation) For two days, the Bizkaia Aretoa UPV/EHU in Bilbao will host experts in this field who will speak in lectures and round tables with the aim of reflecting, learning and proposing concrete actions to improve the quality of life of young migrants in the Basque Country.

In her speech, Melgosa stressed the importance of inclusion and empowerment of migrant youth, noting that “it is imperative to give young migrants the opportunity to participate in the construction of the communities in which they settle,” and advocated the promotion of spaces for dialogue, exchange and coexistence.

“To give them a voice in decision-making spaces, in public policies and in community initiatives, because active participation strengthens the sense of belonging of migrants, and allows them to contribute positively to their environment,” said the Minister.

At the conference, organised by the Department of Equality, Justice and Social Policies of the Basque Government and the University of the Basque Country/Euskal Herriko Unbiertsitatea, under the technical direction of the Basque Immigration Observatory, Ikuspegi, and the Basque Service for Integration and Intercultural Coexistence, Biltzen, Melgosa was accompanied by Lide Amilibia, Deputy Minister of Social Policies of the Basque Government, and Xabier Legarreta, Director of Migration and Asylum of the Basque Government.

The Minister addressed the double vulnerability faced by young migrants, “triple in the case of women, with feelings of loss, grief and stress”, and emphasized the need to “make their reality visible and transform it”, recognising them as active agents of change.

“These people carry with them the burden of stress (such as the journey here, often in very harsh conditions, or the lack of documents), and having to overcome the obstacles of their youth in an unfamiliar land, without the family or community support networks that many of us take for granted,” she explained.

Likewise, Melgosa stated that “cultural, linguistic and belief diversity can be a great asset for society”, and called for “breaking down barriers, prejudices and stereotypes to continue fostering a culture of inclusion where all people, regardless of their origin, feel valued and accepted”.

Similarly, the Minister highlighted the importance of “guaranteeing young migrants access to quality education, job opportunities and basic services for their emancipation”, explaining that “the Second Strategic Plan for Social Services and the new Residential Exclusion strategy are an example of the Basque Government's efforts to make a change in policies, adapting resources and services to the new needs of society”.

“We want to transform care policies into policies that allow people to have their own means to promote their life project and achieve full social inclusion objectives with the greatest possible autonomy in each case,” said Melgosa,

Likewise, the Minister highlighted the work of Aholku Sarea, the Basque Legal Assistance Network for Foreigners, “which ensures that the rights of migrants are respected and protected”, and of the Harrera reception program, as part of the integration strategy.

Nerea Melgosa reiterated her commitment to multiculturalism, integration and equal rights and obligations for the entire population, and denounced attitudes that foster inequality, discrimination and racist or xenophobic violence both socially and institutionally.

Finally, the Minister declared the need to “make visible the fundamental role of the public services that we make available to them, with the support of the third social sector”, detailing that “we work side by side on the problems of the immigrant population from a structural perspective, taking into account not only racism and xenophobia, but also other axes of inequality such as social class, from our efforts to achieve the highest levels of justice and social cohesion”.