The Diplomat
The Spanish Government delivered last Thursday the first work visas to four Ecuadorian farmers in the framework of the agreement between Ecuador and Spain regarding the regulation and management of migratory flows, signed in 2021.
As reported by the Government of Ecuador, the farmers will travel to Huelva for the harvesting of red fruits in the area for a period of six months. A total of 250 Ecuadorian agricultural workers have signed up for this first recruitment process coordinated between the Ecuadorian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility and of Agriculture and Livestock, on the one hand, and the Embassies of the two countries in Quito and Madrid, on the other.
The purpose of this type of agreement is to achieve regular migration and organize migratory flows, so that the Ecuadorians benefiting from the agreement may engage in remunerated labor activities, with full enjoyment of their rights, and contribute to the social and economic development of both countries.
During the formal handover of the visas, which took place at the Spanish Embassy in Quito, the Ecuadorian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Juan Carlos Holguín, stated that this type of circular migration projects have an impact on the generation of employment and contribute to the prevention of risky migration.
The event was attended by Elena Madrazo Hegewisch, Ambassador of Spain in Ecuador; the Vice Minister of Human Mobility, Luis Vayas Valdivieso; Evelin Martillo, Director of Cooperation and International Relations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock; Manuel Baena, Consul of Spain in Quito; and Sagrario Salaberri, Counselor of Labor, Migration and Social Security at the Embassy of Spain in Ecuador, among other authorities. “This symbolic delivery of visas wants to convey a call for legal emigration and, on the other hand, the mutual trust between the two governments, which want to improve the living conditions of their peoples,” the ambassador told Efe news agency.
