The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration visited for the first time the autonomous city of Ceuta, where Inclusion policies protect one in four citizens, 15,000 people in total. In the itinerary of her visit, the minister has known one of the itineraries associated with the Minimum Vital Income, related to the learning of reading and carried out in a school; she has also visited the center of humanitarian attention of migrants and met the team of the Ministry and the collaborating entities and, finally, has held a meeting with the regional president.
“The book is an engine of social change and the socio-educational program Lecxit has improved the speed and reading comprehension of the students participating in the CEIP Mare Nostrum in Ceuta. In addition, in 90% of cases the grade has been raised in the subject of Spanish Language”. This is what Elma Saiz said, after meeting the protagonists of this project to improve reading comprehension promoted together with the José Manuel Lara Foundation.
In this pilot itinerary, linked to the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) and financed with Next Generation funds of the European Union, almost 500 students of Primary of Andalusia (Malaga, Huelva, Jaén and Almería) and of the autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla have participated during the course 2022/2023.
In the case of Ceuta, through the Lecxit program, 45 schoolchildren from vulnerable areas have been accompanied with the aim of increasing their educational performance through improving reading comprehension, especially in boys and girls who do not have a consolidated reading habit and do not have a reading accompaniment in their closest environment. Key to this has been the figure of the volunteers, who have the mission of transmitting the taste for books and helping them understand what they read. 95% of the students would participate in Lecxit again and would recommend a friend to attend these reading sessions.
“It has been a very rewarding experience to listen to their testimonies because behind the projects and the figures there are always people, who are the center of our policies,” said the minister, who stressed the importance of investing in programs that can have a great impact to reduce inequalities in vulnerable families.
“Educational success is a protective factor of social exclusion in childhood. Combating poverty and inequality in classrooms requires evidence-based interventions,” he added.
23% more IMV performance in one year
The Ministry has promoted in Ceuta another 3 inclusion pilots. In total, 5,500 people have participated and the investment exceeds 2.8 million euros.
Currently, more than 2,200 families and 9,000 people are receiving the Minimum Vital Income (BMI) in the Autonomous City. There are children in eight out of 10 households. “In March, there were 421 more active benefits than there were a year ago, an increase of 23.29%. There are also 27.2% more people of beneficiary persons. Since 2020, we have allocated 48 million euros to this benefit in Ceuta”, he said.
Visit to the Temporary Immigrant Stay Center
The minister has also visited the Temporary Immigrant Stay Center (CETI) to learn about the activity and needs of this resource that opened its doors in 2000. The aim is to provide a first temporary reception for immigrants and asylum seekers arriving in both Ceuta and Melilla.
“I want to highlight the multidisciplinary team made up of psychologists and social workers who assess situations of vulnerability and intervene in the same Center with all the people who need it,” said Minister Elma Saiz. The Centre of Ceuta offers psychological care, primary health care, social guidance, legal assistance, language teaching, workshops for the acquisition of basic tools, and extensive facilities for sports, rest and accommodation.
Meeting with the President of Ceuta
The day ended with a meeting between Elma Saiz and the president of the autonomous city of Ceuta, Jesús Vivir. During the meeting they exchanged views on various competent issues in the Ministry. Both have shared concerns about hate speeches and the tragedy of people who lose their lives trying to enter Spanish territory. They are also committed to maintaining institutional loyalty in matters relating to migration management.
For her part, the minister has asked Vivir, as well as the other Autonomous Communities and Cities, to supplement the Minimum Vital Income with their minimum incomes and not reduce them, as is happening in several regions.
In Ceuta, the number of households covered by the Minimum Income for Social Inclusion – the income of the city – accounts for 7% of those covered by the IMV. And their monthly expenses represent barely 5% of the IMV’s payroll.