Valencia is situated on the banks of the river Turia, on the east coast of the Iberian Peninsula, fronting the Gulf of Valencia on the Mediterranean Sea. It is the third-largest city in the country, with around 800,000 inhabitants. Its urban area extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of around 1.6 million people. The city’s economy is service-oriented. However, the city still maintains an important industrial base, with 8.5% of the population employed in this sector. Valencia’s port is the biggest on the Mediterranean western coast, and the second of Spain in total traffic.

Due to its long history, this is a city with numerous popular celebrations and traditions, such as the Fallas, which were declared as Intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in November 2016.

POPULATION DIVERSITY

Valencia is the capital of the autonomous community of Valencia. It has a population of

798.538 inhabitants. Non- nationals represent 12,8% of Valencia’s total inhabitants. European Union citizens are the largest group, followed by people from Latin America. The main countries of origin by number of inhabitants are: Rumania (11.247), Italy (8.013), China (7.119), Pakistan (5. 580) and three Latin American countries – Colombia (5.337) Bolivia (5.313) and Ecuador (5.041).

During the last decade, a considerable number of immigrant-origin people have been acquiring the Spanish nationality and, therefore, disappearing from the data of registered foreign population (as resident) in the city. Taking into account the relevance of these people when assessing cultural diversity, we can consider the data of people living in the city who were born in another country, which rise up to 142.158 (17,8%) 

PROFILE AND ACTIVITIES

In 2002 the City Council launched its first Municipal Plan for the Integration of the Immigration. Under the framework of this Plan, the Attention Centre to Immigration (CAI) was created. The North-South Plan 2009-2013 followed the previous Plan and established an area of intervention dedicated to interculturality. In October 2018, the City Council passed the Municipal Plan of Immigration and Interculturality 2019-2022, which puts the focus on the intercultural approach instead of an approach based on the care/assistance management.

In addition, in 2016, the Local Council of Immigration and Interculturality was established as a consultative and advice body that recognises the capacity of migrants to organise and interlocutor with the local government in view to formulate, monitor and evaluate public immigration and intercultural policies in the city.

The City Council is currently designing its Antirumours Strategy.