I’ve been told that: “Immigrants abuse social assistance”
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT: "IMMIGRANTS ABUSE SOCIAL ASSISTENCE"
There is not any specific social assistance for foreign people
There is not any specific benefit assigned to a person just because they are foreigners. Social Services’ Catalan law (Llei 12/2007, 11th October) guarantees assistance for those who need it. It also states that “all public powers have to guarantee everybody’s right to access to social services and its effective use in equal conditions, equity and redistributive justice”.
Anybody can access to social benefits, as far as they fulfill some requirements related to their economic situation, age, number of people they have in charge, period of time living in the city and living with serious conditions. In order to receive social benefits, someone’s origin is not taken into account in these requirements.
Actually, foreigners’ access to social assistance needs further requirements, for instance, having a residence permit. That is why undocumented people can only receive assistance in case of emergency.
Assistance is provided to people living with social vulnerability.
Trust professionals who manage social assistance, know who and when people need it, and avoid its abuse.
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I’ve been told that: “Immigrants do not make good use of Health Care System”
i've been told that: "immigrants do not makie good use of health care system"
HEALTH ASSISTANCE IS A BASIC RIGHT TO WHICH ALL INDIVIDUALS ARE ENTITLED
Health assistance is a basic right recognised by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The current legislation states that all citizens, regardless of their origin, have the right to health.
This current legislation in Spain is valid for those who contribute to the Social Security and their beneficiaries. Therefore, this law excludes all foreign people over 18 years old who do not have a residence permit and nationals older than 26 years old without disabilities or less than 65% disability who have never registered with the Social Security.
However, emergency assistance is guaranteed in Catalonia.
FOREIGNERS USE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM LESS THAN NATIONALS
In Sabadell, 40% of all foreign population is between 18 and 35 years old.
According to the study “Inmigración y Estado de Bienestar en España” (2011), foreigners go 7% less than nationals to the family doctor and 16.5% less to the medical specialists.
According to the data published by the Catalan Institute of Health (ICS), among all the visits in Primary Health Centres (CAP) during 2012, 8.54% were arranged by foreign people. Looking at the data provided by Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, the percentage of foreign users was 5.40% for Primary Health Centres and 9% for the emergency service.
VISITS TO PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRES (CAP) IN SABADELL, 2012
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I’ve been told that: “Immigrants steal national’s jobs and do not contribute to Social Welfare System”
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT: "IMMIGRANTS STEAL NATIONAL'S JOBS AND DO NOT CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIAL WELFARE SYSTEM"
FOREIGN EMPLOYEES CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIAL SECURITY
In order to renovate their residence permit, foreign employees must prove they have got a job, submit their requests for quotation to the Social Security, as well as pay to the Inland Revenue.
According to the study “Immigración y Estado de Bienestar en España” (2011), during the period of economic growing in the country, immigrants arrival was favourable for the Social Welfare System and their contribution to the State’s wealth was greater than the expenses in social benefits.
FOREIGN POPULATION RECEIVES BIGGER IMPACT FROM CURRENT CRISIS
The effects of the crisis are worse for the foreign population than for nationals: As for unemployment, during the fourth term of 2013, national’s unemployment rate was 19.2%, whereas for foreign workers it was 36.1%. Foreigner’s unemployment rate is twice national’s rate.
INTERNATIONA'LS AND FOREIGNER'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN CATALONIA, 2013
FOREIGNERS CARRY OUT MOST INSTABLE JOBS
There is a lack of recognition for foreigner’s studies and working experience. This determines their decisions to work in simple jobs which do not require occupational qualification. Moreover, as in many cases they do not have an employment contract, they are led to work within the underground economy and worst conditions than people having an employment contract: not being well paid, having few or any security and stability. Therefore, they end up carrying out humiliating, dangerous and instable jobs.
Nowadays, nationals in Germany and in the UK could be saying that “foreigners steal our jobs” about immigrants arriving from Spain.
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I’ve been told that: “Immigrants lower the educational level”
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT: "IMMIGRANTS LOWER THE EDUCATIONAL LEVEL"
SCHOOL SCCESS DOES NOT DEPEND ON THE ORIGIN OF STUDENTS
As some studies show, such as Serra and Palaudàries’ study in 2010, school success is not related to the students’ nationality. It is the economic and social situation, together with the educational and family environment which are more likely to affect school performance. Regardless the students’ origin, schools and secondary schools adapt their methodology and resources in order to achieve a successful school performance for all students.
LIVING IN DIVERSITY IS GOOD
The Emeritus President William G. Bowen from the University of Princeton (US) states that there is a large variety of interests, knowledge and perspectives in classrooms where diverse ethnicities, religions and origins coexist. This proves that students are able to learn from their own differences and can observe their beliefs about themselves and the world, favouring a greater significant learning.
ACCESS TO PUBLIC RESOURCES (PLACES AVAILABLE FOR COURSES, GRANTS, ETC) IS EQUAL FOR EVERYBODY
Admission process is the same for all students. In case of having more application forms than places available, these are the criteria which will give more or less punctuation to each application:
- Relatives working or siblings studying in the centre.
- Closeness to housing or work.
- Annual household income.
- Family members with disability.
- Other complementary criteria such as the legal condition of large families or single parent families, students with chronic diseases, relatives having studied in the centre, etc.
STUDENTS' ORIGIN IS NOT, IN ANY CASE, A CRITERION TO SCORE HIGER THAN NATIONALS
The next items are taken into account in the scale for food subsidies given to students: student’s household income, (documented) specific situations such as large/single families, rehoused children, students or siblings having disabilities, and distance from their housing to the school centre. Furthermore, there is an evaluation for serious social needs carried out by the Social Services.
Therefore, children’s origin is not a requirement in this scale.
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I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT: "FOREIGN SHOPKEEPERS DO NOT PAY TAXES"
I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT: "FOREIGN SHOPKEEPERS DO NOT PAY TAXES"
There is neither particular financial help for foreign shopkeepers nor a tax relief for those shopkeepers having a foreign nationality. Foreign shopkeepers have got the same tax and labour obligations as national shopkeepers. They can also be penalised for not complying the legislation. Health regulations are the same for all establishments.
THEY DO NOT HAVE A FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULE
Retail food establishments in Catalonia, whose owner is a small and medium-seize enterprise and its selling area is smaller than 150m2, can open at any time during all the year. There are only two holidays when they must close their establishment: January the 1st and December the 25th.
THEY ARE NOT THE REASON WHY LOCAL SHOPS ARE CLOSING
Autochthonous shops are not disappearing due to foreign shops. Actually, the fact that foreigners have set up their shops in neighbourhoods of the city which did not have much trading has revitalised these areas. In some cases, foreign shopkeepers have guaranteed a new trading generation for those shops whose owners were about to retire. They have also contributed to retrieve types of trading that were disappearing such as retail food establishments.
THEY ARE NOT FUNDED BY MAFIAS
The small foreign trade has a family dimension: it is usually the result of “solidarity loans” coming from the family circle. They get low prices because they group themselves when making large orders and because they accept a narrow profit margin.
THEY ARE MERGING THEMSELVES LITTLE BY LITTLE
There are initiatives from PIME-Comerç (SMEs), Confederació de Comerç de Catalunya and Gremi d’Hostaleria de Sabadell who have incorporated migrant shopkeepers to their associations. There are about 65% of foreign shopkeepers who do not know about these entities. It is important to stress the fact that 47% of shopkeepers having a Spanish nationality take part in these entities.
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