The difficulties in carrying out family reunification have effects on the Headquarters of Urgell. The mayor, Joan Barrerahe assured, in statements to diarythat there are cases of people who lived in the Principality and who have ended up moving to the municipality of Urgellen because they cannot complete family reunification or assume the cost of housing. “There are other aspects that continue to harm the headquarters like, for example, family reunification, which sometimes ends up forcing the migrated people to leave the country because they can’t regroup or they can’t pay for housing”, he explained barrier
themayor he admitted that the city council does not have a specific number of people who have arrived for this reason, since the register does not include the causes of the change of residence. However, he stated that there are signs of the phenomenon in a concrete way. One of these is the school registrations. “When children enroll, then you have clues”, he pointed out barrier, adding that, despite not having specific data, “we do know”.
“There are aspects that continue to harm the Headquarters such as, for example, family reunification”
Schooling data show a small growth in the number of students at the Headquarters. This year there are 1,999 Kindergarten, primary and secondary school students16 more than last year’s 1,983, an increase of 0.8%, according to public data from the city council. The figures do not allow the increase to be attributed to transfers fromAndorrahowever barrier places registrations as one of the indicators that can give clues about this reality.
themayor differentiated this problem from that of the so-called false borderers, an area in which he considers that it has improved after the complaints made by the Seu d’Urgell and the changes introduced by Andorra. “At first they didn’t do well, we protested and now it’s true that the rules have changed to be able to move in the right direction”, he said. barrier He maintained that the pressure on housing continues to exist, especially due to the arrival of workers linked to Andorrabut he valued that companies assume more responsibility for the people they hire.
“We must continue to create bonds and bridges, and avoid everything that separates us and creates tension”
Beyond housing, barrier also confirmed that the headquarters wants to actively participate in the future European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation between Andorra and the Pyrenees. The city council has already been in contact through the commissioner of Interpyrenean relations and sees this space as a tool to strengthen cross-border cooperation so that “no one is harmed” and all parties can obtain benefits.
themayor also claimed the need to preserve “transparent, sincere and friendly” relations between the Headquarters and Andorraand cited as examples of shared projects the joint candidacy for world heritage or the cross-border tram project, defending, in addition, that these initiatives must serve to “continue to create ties and bridges, and avoid everything that separates us and creates tension”.
