It is an honor to address all of you on this National Police Day. On this special day, we celebrate and recognize the commitment and dedication of men and women who work tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.
The National Police plays a fundamental role in the preservation of peace and security in the Basque Country. Over the years it has faced significant challenges, and some particularly cruel ones, such as the various terrorist phenomena, but it has always shown unwavering strength in the protection of our citizens and the defence of democratic values.
The Basque Country is today a diverse community, in which coexistence and collaboration are essential for our progress. The National Police plays a key role in promoting this coexistence, working tirelessly in collaboration with the Ertzaintza to prevent crime, ensure security and build trust between the community and law enforcement.
Today we celebrate the day of the Guardian Angels, and once again we pay tribute to all the members of the National Police in the Basque Country. Your dedication, your courage and professionalism are examples for all of us. It is a fundamental job, often performed in difficult conditions, to ensure that we can live in a safe and peaceful environment.
It is important to remember that the job of the National Police is not only to maintain public order, but also to protect the rights of all citizens. In your daily work, you must balance security with respect for human rights and individual freedoms, and this is a task that you perform with great responsibility. At events like the one we celebrate today, I always like to remember that security is one more pillar of the rule of law, a prerogative of citizenship. Because without security it is very difficult to guarantee the rest of civil rights and public freedoms. Without security, prosperity, wealth generation and institutional stability do not make way either.
Next January, two centuries of service of the institution will be celebrated. A birthday without a doubt very special. They have already been useful to society for two hundred years and the vocation to continue to be so in the future remains more alive than ever.
The institution to which you have the honor of belonging is a model of loyalty and public service. The adaptation to the different times that you have had to live is logical, essential and, in any case, worthy of praise for your dedication, vocation and professionalism. We will never fail to recognize and appreciate your mission, like that of the rest of the Security Forces and Corps, to ensure that the law is complied with and that the rights of the people are respected and protected.
We live in moments of constant transformation. Recently, your work had to be adapted to respond to a pandemic in unknown circumstances and difficult to predict. And you did it with great efficiency despite the enormous difficulties that this anomalous situation entailed. It is evident that society demands from public servants professionalism, rigour and renewed and constant training to adapt to the times.
As can be seen from the volume of operations and operations in which you take part, your service to society is undeniable. It is worth mentioning the 19 victims of Trafficking in Human Beings released over the last few months as well as the numerous interventions and arrests carried out in the field of the fight against trafficking in human beings, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and documentary falsehood.
For example, the EMPACT Operations are framed in the fight against Human Trafficking, illegal immigration and drug and arms trafficking. Or Operations Tiffanys and Oasis where those 19 victims that I mentioned earlier were released. And the rest of the operations carried out with great efficiency that have borne fruit when it comes to practicing arrests and rescuing money, drugs and stolen material.
Apart from your work against crime, you provide an outstanding service in making life easier for citizens. Thus, this year the National Police of the Basque Country has already issued more than 154,000 DNIs, 70,000 passports and has served 17,675 people who requested asylum and refuge, including the protection of 200 more people from Ukraine.
The National Police continues to be a model of adaptation to the times in which they live. It is a constant process, although you always need to go faster. We are, fortunately, in a more egalitarian and, of course, much fairer concept of society. I am referring in this case to the incorporation of women into all levels of society and, of course, also to the National Police.
Steps have been taken in the equalization that are important, although still insufficient. As Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska stressed a few days ago, the police of the future will be feminine or not. In the Higher Police Headquarters in the Basque Country there are more and more female officers assigned and progress is being made in this regard, but we are still far from achieving the objectives set. Measures must continue to be taken to achieve real equality between women and men. It is a matter of social justice and our behavior must be based on these values, the values of the society to which you owe yourselves.
Finally, on behalf of the Government and all citizens of the Basque Country, I would like to express my gratitude to the National Police for their tireless work and dedication to our community. Congratulations to those decorated today and my sincere congratulations to all the members of the National Police Force in the Basque Country.
thank you very much