One in five foreign residents do not have the correct papers

PALMA
ONE in five residents from outside the European Union do not have the necessary paperwork in order according to the latest Balearic Islands Social and Economic Study carried out by the leading savings bank Sa Nostra.

At the end of last year, the town hall registers and residents permit list showed that there were 16.7893 non EU residents living in the Balearics with out the correct documentation. In conclusion to the annual report, Sa Nostra has called for a much greater effort to be made to help immigrants get their paper work in order and the survey's findings are even more relevant considering the Spanish government's announcement yesterday that it intends to reduce the number of work permits given to immigrants coming to Spain. A little over 19 percent of the Balearic's foreign population does not have their documentation in order, a touch below the national average.

Yesterday, migration experts said that Europe's economic downturn is deterring would-be migrants in Africa from making the often perilous journey to the continent in search of work. Thousands of illegal migrants from West Africa attempt to enter Europe every year, drawn by dreams of riches far exceeding those available in their own poverty-stricken countries. But as work dries up in Europe they are returning to warn others that they may be better off staying in Africa.