On Wednesday 18 September, the Centre Internacional Escarré per a les Minories Ètniques i les Nacions (CIEMEN) will host the only presentation in Catalonia of a report focusing on institutional racism and the significant challenges faced by professionals with foreign university degrees in securing recognition of their qualifications in Spain.

The report is a collaborative effort between the Center for Studies on Migration, Discrimination, and Institutional Racism (CEMDRI), the Movement of Migrant Psychologists (MPPM), and the Interprofessional Migrant Front (FIM). The talk will be led by Gabriela L. Frias-Goytia, a Bolivian psychologist based in A Coruña and coordinator of CEMDRI, and José María Casas, an Argentine psychologist based in Tarragona and spokesperson for the Movement of Migrant Psychologists (MPPM). They will discuss the struggle for the recognition of foreign university degrees in Spain, with a particular focus on the dramatic case of psychology.

Additionally, the report examines the current situation of the psychology degree recognition process in Spain. Revisiting the 2022 health and employment situation analysis conducted by APSAE (Association of Argentine Health Professionals in Spain), it was found that the indicators have generally worsened, with some cases pending for over 6 years. Other risk factors such as gender are also highlighted. The importance of the collective struggle, which has been ongoing for years, will be discussed, especially in light of complaints from various professional groups with foreign qualifications who are currently unable to practice in Spain.

This event ties into broader issues addressed in the recently-published EWSI analysis “Bridging courses for migrants to complement qualifications acquired in third countries: approaches and practices in EU Member States”, which emphasises the importance of promoting the competences and skills of migrants for their swift and fair inclusion into the labor market of their host country, as outlined in the European Commission’s Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027. Additionally, it relates to the issue of institutional racism, as discussed in a study - Tackling structural and institutional racism in 8 EU Member States - recently published published by the Migration Policy Group.

The presentation of the report is supported by the Intersindical and is a free event. No prior registration is required.