European Residents integrate less than immigrants
May 2008 Just before the last elections there was concern among the foreign residents that we may have to take tests in becoming good citizens, learn Spanish and integrate. Recent studies confirm what we already know. We are a (collectively) a hopeless case.
270,000 European foreign residents live in the province of Alicante. According to various surveys Brits, Germans and French have their own clubs and supermarkets which sell their native food, their own language media and even native language companies for home services. 25% of these Europeans admit that it's not necessary to speak Spanish to live in Alicante and 75% say that their reason for living on the Costa Blanca is that they don't have to speak Spanish. Most admit that they do not have Spanish friends and they they move in closed circles within which they find help and togetherness.
The Ministry does not plan any programmes to encourage the integration of this group of foreigners.
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