The Foreign Residents Department dealt with more than 6.000 enquiries throughout 2013 and mainly helped British, Danish, Finnish and Russian residents who requested free legal and administrative guidance.

According to the Councillor for Foreign Residents, Adolfo Fernandez, most queries were regarding registering on the pardon, the tax office and urban development. Twenty per cent of the enquiries were received via e-mails and 10 per cent by phone, while the rest were in person.

The Councillor explained that volunteers are present at the Casa de la Cultura in Arroyo de la Miel to deal with queries and that there are interpreters at the National Police station, Arroyo de la Miel Library, the three health centres and at the Pensioners’ Centre Anica Torres. They speak Spanish, English, German, French, Swedish, Finnish and Polish.