Marbella wants to build better links with foreign residents

A need for greater contact with the 40,000 foreigners of 130 nationalities living in Marbella was behind the meeting organised on Thursday last week by the town hall.

Not all information on rights and obligations, public affairs and events reaches residents, explained Oti García, who will now officially manage Marbella's foreigners office.

This first meeting with representatives of more than 30 foreign associations took place at the new space for foreign residents in the Palacio de Congresos, where a training area, international library and offices are under construction.

Mayor Ángeles Muñoz stressed that the town wants to establish closer and more direct links with its foreign residents and to show more presence at the events organised by foreigners.

An international office will soon be set up in Las Chapas, said councillor Carlos Alcalá, and his colleague in Nueva Andalucía, Cristóbal Garre, stated that the door to his office was always open to foreign citizens.

The representatives repeatedly pointed out the importance of registering on the municipal census (padrón). The more inhabitants a town has, the higher its financial resources from central government.