Balearic President Matas creates regional Immigration Ministry

PRESIDENT of the Balearic Islands, Jaume Matas, yesterday announced the creation of a regional Ministry for Immigration and Cooperation, to be headed up by Encarnacion Pastor. Matas said that in his judgment, the move had become essential to cater for the needs of an increasingly large sector of the Islands' population.
Until yesterday, the new minister had been president of the Regional Association of Extremadura and also of the Federation for Balearic Regional Associations. She is 59 years-old and is not a member of the Partido Popular. Pastor comes from Orellana la Vieja in Badajoz (Extremadura), although she has lived for years in Felanitx where she also participates in activities organised by the local regional association. The new department, so far in Spain second in importance only to its counterpart in Madrid, will be divided into the two different branches of Immigration and Cooperation but will also have a section set aside for providing assistance to immigrants and to deal with immigration policy.