Portal da Açorianidade

The Regional Secretariat for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, through the Regional Directorate for the Communities, will hold the first 2025 biannual meeting of the Regional Advisory Council for Immigration Affairs (CCRAI) next Thursday, February 27, at 10 a.m., at the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures auditorium in Ponta Delgada.

The agenda for this meeting, chaired by the Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, includes the presentation of the most recent statistics on foreign citizens living in the Azores, the assessment of the Portuguese Courses for Foreigners held in the Region in 2024, and professional training opportunities for immigrants in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. The meeting will be attended by Renato Medeiros, Regional Director for Employment and Vocational Training, who is responsible for the Azores Qualification Centre (formerly the Capelas Vocational School) and the Association for the Economic Development of the Azores (Tourism School), and Ana Rodrigues, President of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Development of the Azores Sea (Azores Maritime School).

The CCRAI comprises the regional directors for the Communities, Education and Educational Administration, Social Solidarity, Employment and Vocational Training, Health and the Promotion of Equality and Social Inclusion. It also includes representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Azores, AIPA – Association of Immigrants in the Azores, CRESAÇOR –   Regional Cooperative of Solidarity Economy/Migrant Support Office, ASIBA-Association of Brazilian Immigrants in the Azores, the Regional Union of Private Social Solidarity Institutions of the Azores, the Association of Municipalities of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, the National Republican Guard, the Public Security Police, the Criminal Investigation Police and the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum.

The advisory body intends to ensure the participation and collaboration of associations representing immigrants, social partners, social solidarity institutions, and other organisations that provide social and cultural support to immigrants in defining and coordinating policies for social integration and combating exclusion.

Established in 2002, the CCRAI has as its main mission to collaborate in developing social integration policies for immigrants aimed at eliminating discrimination and promoting equal opportunities and participate in the definition of measures and actions contributing to the improvement of immigrants’ living conditions and the defence of their rights.

As such, the Azorean Government has implemented a policy aimed at developing initiatives and strategies to promote the full integration of immigrant citizens, acknowledging their active contribution to the enrichment of Azorean society in various areas.