The Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, José Luis Escrivá, has signed with the Vice President of Cantabria, Pablo Zuloaga, the transfer to the State of the Parayas psychiatric center, in which an International Protection Reception Center will be created.
With this agreement, with which the autonomy will enter 10 million euros for the sale of the psychiatric hospital and which will have a state investment of close to 30 million euros, the regional Executive will transfer most of the facilities to the Ministry of Inclusion and Migrations, except for the youth social center, which is attached to the Cantabrian Institute of Social Services (ICASS), the annex building, and the wooded park.
As expressed by Minister Escrivá, the Parayas center will become “one of the reference centers” for the reception of refugees in Spain.
A reference center
“Given the size of the land, almost 50,000 square meters, and that we want it to be a truly unique and reference center, there is a planned investment within the Recovery and Resilience Plan, in addition to the 10 million, of another 19 million euros” , Escrivá has assured.
Likewise, it has indicated that the new facilities will have capacity for 300 refugees, that 70 direct jobs will be created and, “surely, many indirect ones”.
As the minister has stated, the Spanish Olympic Committee will soon visit the center -in disuse since 2016- so that “there are sports facilities of the highest quality and reference” that can also be used by Cantabrian citizens.
about 30 million
For his part, the Vice President of Cantabria thanked the central government and Minister Escrivá for launching the project and stated that the investment planned by the Government of Spain is close to 30 million euros.
“This investment will allow a significant economic boost to the Camargo City Council and this obviously also generates important benefits for its neighbors, its neighbors, and all the citizens of Cantabria. My assessment as vice president of the regional government is more than positive”, concluded Zuloaga.
According to the Government of Cantabria in a statement, the construction works of the center could begin before the summer.
The building attached to the youth center, which is also left out of the assignment in the agreement, housed the old workshops and is maintained as a space reserve.
A large wooded park
The Camargo City Council will be in charge of recovering the wooded park in the western part of the plot, which will be a green space “for the enjoyment of the residents of the municipality”, as explained by the mayoress, Esther Bolado.
The mayoress also highlighted the Ministry’s project to reform the sports facilities for the use of both refugees and public use.
The Parayas center is part of the new International Protection Reception Centers that the Ministry of Inclusion plans to develop.
The creation of these centers responds to a strategic plan to increase the capacity and efficiency of the reception system, they are financed with Next Generation funds.