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Date Published: 26/07/2024

Foreign Office backlog in the Region of Murcia leads to exorbitant fees and exploitation

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The Parem Association has called on the people of Murcia to request appointments for foreigners that “are impossible to get”

Foreign Office backlog in the Region of Murcia leads to exorbitant fees and exploitation

For foreigners looking to settle permanently in Spain, the journey towards not only asylum but also basic regularisation and residency is often fraught with challenges and long waiting times. This leads to many people forking out hundreds of euros to often unscrupulous individuals who promise to speed the process up, resulting in serious legal problems down the road.

In the Region of Murcia, the Association for Refugees and Migrants in Murcia (PAREM) has raised concerns about the difficulties migrants face in obtaining appointments at the Immigration Office, a crucial step in renewing their documentation and continuing their working lives.

The process, which should be a free and accessible service, has become a costly and tedious affair. Migrants are resorting to paying exorbitant fees, ranging from 300 to 500 euros, just to secure an appointment, and the price continues to rise.

But it’s easy to understand why so many go this route, as having proper identification is essential for accessing the most basic services like bank accounts and work contracts.

This isn’t a new issue, either. Back in the summer of 2022, the Spanish Foreign Office (Extranjería) admitted to a backlog of more than 190,000 files and applications. The government hired an additional 295 civil servants to work in offices across the country, but the problem is only getting worse.

The bottom line, according to the organisation, is that people simply can’t get an appointment in the Region of Murcia.

“In many autonomous communities the number of appointments has increased because the number of asylum seekers has increased, and an email or telephone number has also been provided so that, since the platform does not work, there are other ways, but this has not happened in Murcia.”

In the Region, appointments are released at 9am on the last Friday of the month, but by “9.02am there are no more left.” This means that foreigners are forced to wait another month with expired documentation and in some cases “they are practically forced into destitution,” a Parem spokesperson explained.

Parem is taking action by requesting a meeting with the regional government delegate in September to advocate for a proportional increase in appointments and the implementation of additional contact methods.

They are also seeking support from the public through social media campaigns, encouraging Murcians to help migrants secure appointments. The idea is for regular residents to log on when the appointments come out and book a slot, which can then be handed over to Parem and passed on to someone who needs it.

Anyone interested in helping the cause should contact the Parem Association directly.

Image: Archive

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