June 20th marked World Refugee Day, dedicated to all those around the world who have been forced to flee their place of origin or residence due to war, violence, or persecution. According to data from the Ministry of the Interior,[1]In 2020, during the worst of the pandemic and a prolonged state of alarm, 88,762 people (47,068 men and 41,694 women) applied for asylum in Spain, the majority between 18 and 34 years old (48.6% of the total).
In 2017, the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God launched the Reception program and personalized integration itineraries for applicants and beneficiaries of international protection Funded by the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration. From a holistic perspective and through professional, multidisciplinary, and specialized work, the program seeks to address the reception and integration needs of the growing number of applicants for international protection in Spain.
The Order of Saint John of God currently has a total of 170 reception places, distributed as follows: 100 places at the Llar Sant Joan de DĂ©u center in Manresa; and 14 single-family apartments managed by the San Juan de Dios Center in Ciempozuelos (36 places) and the San Juan de Dios Hospital in LeĂłn (34 places). These three centers offer specialized care to various profiles, some of them particularly vulnerable, such as single-parent families, the LGBTI+ community, and young men who arrived in Spain alone, among others.
Since 2017, the Hospitaller Order has welcomed 906 people (belonging to 210 families) and 113 single individuals through the program. Throughout 2021, we have supported 318 people (178 men/140 women) of 26 different nationalities.
Within the framework of the San Juan de Dios program for welcoming asylum seekers and beneficiaries, the basic needs of the people we support are met, and we design a personalized integration and job placement program with each of them. They are also provided with psychological support, legal advice, language training, and access to training and guidance for employment.
According to Merlys Mosquera, coordinator of the Reception Program of the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God: "We also consider it important to highlight the contribution of civil society and, specifically, of third-sector organizations in the work of providing spaces and capacity to support the reception and integration processes of refugees in Spain." For Mosquera, various third-sector organizations work together to promote the social inclusion of people from a rights-based perspective.
"This means providing people with various tools, specialized follow-up based on specific needs, ongoing support, and guidance to facilitate access to local resources. This work also involves networking with public administrations at the local and national levels; and at the same time, promoting social participation through actions such as volunteering, which allow for the channeling of citizen solidarity. "Without this entire network of shelters, it would be much more difficult and complex to overcome the trauma that violence represents for refugees," Mosquera emphasizes.
On this anniversary, we want to highlight the strength of this group, particularly in the exceptional circumstances experienced over the past year. Refugees have fled their countries due to persecution based on their racial or ethnic origin, gender, religion, political opinion, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, or membership in any particular social group. This is a forced migration that they undertake with deep emotional wounds inflicted at their place of origin; in addition to facing the unknown and numerous challenges in their new host country: a new language, different customs, and sometimes stigma, among others.
Meanwhile, they will have to assimilate the numerous losses that come with having abruptly left their homes in what is known as migratory grief: home, family and friends, customs, food, landscapes, socioeconomic status, etc. In short, these are people who continue to struggle with their burden of suffering, loss, and uncertainty. It is not difficult to imagine that the effects of COVID-19, the lockdown, and mobility restrictions have undoubtedly caused a severe emotional imbalance for the refugee population, which nevertheless has continued to make progress toward integration. Added to this are the effects of unemployment, which the migrant population has particularly suffered during this crisis. According to the analysis of the CIDOB Immigration Yearbook 2020[2]The economic downturn stemming from the health crisis particularly affected the foreign population. For example, in the second quarter of the year, foreign employment fell by 101%, twice as much as in the case of Spaniards.
In the preparatory sessions for the 2021 European Migration Forum, the European Union highlighted that the contribution of migrants can be essential in key sectors for combating the pandemic and for economic and health recovery. Our experience in the program shows that, despite the additional difficulties caused by COVID-19, refugees and asylum seekers have continued to struggle to get by.
âIf there's one thing that stands out about this group, it's their strength,â explained Ăurea Ferreres, a reception program technician at the Juan Ciudad Foundation. âIn our program, the teams see every day the decisiveness, resilience, and strength to move forward and build, of the people we support. And, above all, the desire to channel their personal and life experiences to contribute their part to the host society. This fortitude is what we hope to highlight on this June 20th.â
[1] Ministry of the Interior. Preliminary data on international protection, application of the Dublin 1 Regulation, and recognition of stateless person status. Retrieved on February 20, 2021 from http://www.interior.gob.es/documents/642012/13036726/Nota_avance_trimestral_datos_proteccion_internacional_2020_12_31.pdf/63075a16-2b2e-477e-8986-0c184bf7711c
[2] Arango, J., GarcĂ©s, B., MahĂa, R. and Moya, D. (2021) Immigration in the time of Covid-19. CIDOB Immigration Yearbook 2020. Barcelona: CIDOB.
