A total of 13,825 workers hired abroad have arrived in the province of Huelva since January 19, 2024, to participate in the strawberry and berry campaign. Of the workers, 339 are from Honduras, 62 from Ecuador, 508 from Colombia, and 12,916 from Morocco, the latter are exclusively women.
The sub-delegate of the Government in Huelva, María José Rico, accompanied some of these workers as they were given their TIE, a foreigner's ID card, facilitating their entry through the border.
Recruitment in the countries of origin is carried out, coordinating the action of various agencies under the terms established in an Order of the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration. To improve the effectiveness of this process, the Ministry of the Interior has hired ten people who work in the afternoon. According to estimates, 15,734 workers hired abroad will enter Spain in 2024 and be issued a TIE, which allows them to reside in Spain for a renewable period of four years, with a maximum annual stay of nine months.
As of April 5, the government had already issued 6,832 TIEs, representing 51% of the total. The sub-delegate stressed the importance of the work of mediators from associations, NGOs, the Red Cross, and the companies themselves to effectively face the logistical challenge to ensure effective operation.
Rico highlighted the coordination between agencies, the agility introduced by the new regulations, the professionalism of the immigration officials, and the workers' attitude. She also praised the Immigration Office for making technological improvements that improved efficiency and were helpful to the environment.
Source: Europa Press / notimerica.com