A day dedicated to the Italian consular network in Spain was held yesterday at the Italian Embassy in Madrid. It was convened and chaired by Ambassador Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, and was attended by Senator Andrea Crisanti and MP Simone Billi, who were invited as members of parliament elected in the European division of the Foreign Constituency.
The first meeting, envisaged by Article 6, paragraph 2 of the Law establishing the Committees of Italians Abroad (no. 286 of 2003), was attended, in addition to the parliamentarians, by the heads of the first category consular offices (Madrid, Barcelona and Arona), the Comites presidents, the CGIE councillors and the consular coordinator for Spain.
Those present conducted an analysis of Italian immigration trends in Spain in the broader context of demographic and migratory trends in both countries. The growing presence of the Italian collectivity in Spain is the result of different components, as highlighted by an in-depth examination of the birthplaces of compatriots who have immigrated to the Iberian country.
The immigration of Italians from Latin American countries and, in particular, from Argentina and Venezuela continues to be very significant.
The performance, quality, and timeliness of consular services, considered satisfactory on the whole, were the subject of a participatory scrutiny by those present, who then reflected on the benefits of the reopening of the Consulate General in Madrid, the positive outcome of the task force set up by the Consulate General in Barcelona to deal with the Valencian emergency, and the good consular assistance practices in the experience of the Arona Vice Consulate since its opening.
The ambassador and the heads of the consular offices assured the constant commitment of the entire network to further improve service delivery and timing. All participants confirmed their strong support for a bilateral agreement on dual citizenship, considered a factor for the accelerated integration of the Italian community in Spain. Finally, some organisational aspects of the Italians' vote in Spain in last June's European elections were analysed, as well as some proposals aimed at facilitating the process.
The second segment, open to all honorary consuls of the Spanish network, was entirely devoted to integrated promotion, a topic introduced by the officials in charge of the commercial, cultural and technological-scientific sectors respectively. The participants confirmed their keen interest in contributing, on the ground, to the achievement of the 2025 objectives.
Lastly, a coordination meeting was held between the consular, career and honorary offices, during which specific contents on citizenship, consular assistance and accounting were discussed in depth, in order to guarantee an up-to-date and efficient service that meets the needs of a sustained growth of the Italian community registered in the Registry of Italians Resident Abroad (AIRE).
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