Beyond borders: the value of OFIM for society as a whole

The Immigrant Information Office (OFIM) is a public service that has been operating in the Balearic Islands for years. It is, in my opinion, a quality service that stands out compared to other autonomous communities. I'm not aware of anything similar on the Peninsula. I once contacted a similar service in Catalonia, but it was completely overwhelmed.

I know the OFIM from the inside: I worked there for seven years. I know the people who use it and how the staff who support it work. I can say that, recently, the office has been facing challenges that affect the quality of service. And I want to be clear: the staff are the ones who provide quality, serving everyone with professionalism and humanity.

But there are problems that are not their fault, but rather the management of the service:

— Long waiting lists.

— Team growth, which implies a greater coordination burden.

— Overburdened administrative staff.

This last point has a direct impact: appointment scheduling calls are unavailable. A third administrative representative was requested some time ago; it was approved, a budget was allocated... but, for reasons that have not been clearly explained, the Regional Ministry has it paralyzed.

Currently, the President of the Ministry manages the OFIM. And Vox is in charge of the Presidency. We know what Vox thinks about immigrants.

Migrating is not always a decision: often it is a necessity, and even a matter of life or death—literally. Let us not be fooled by our privileges or by apparent stability: this may be just an illusion that disappears overnight. Let us treat each other as we would like to be treated.

In this context, I want to highlight three things:

— All immigrants: those who use the service and those who don't.

— The workforce: experienced professionals with in-depth knowledge of the service.

— OFIM itself: an outsourced public service that provides real value to the Balearic community.

Furthermore, it's worth remembering that the Balearic population also faces other serious problems related to migration management: the illegal market for registration, the illegal market for immigration appointments, and the insufficient budget and staffing—perhaps very convenient from a strategic-political point of view—of the office. Not to mention the difficulties in asylum procedures or what the new Immigration Law has meant in relation to the integration effort reports.

It's not just "us" and "them." It's all of us defending a quality service against the Administration. Balearic society voted for the current Government at the polls—rightly or wrongly. I only hope that, beyond ideologies, the OFIM is cared for for what it is and for its value.

Immigrants have the right to free, truthful, and quality information. And no, it's not as simple as "let them come regularly": that argument only reflects a lack of knowledge of social reality.

Defending this service is not "for them"—immigrants—but for all the people who live on the Islands, regardless of our nationality or administrative status. We deserve a strong OFIM, with stable, well-managed staff and the support of the Administration.

Talking about the OFIM isn't a memory of the past for me, but rather a present conviction and a commitment to the future: to defend a service that deserves to continue growing and being cared for, because it is a pillar of justice and dignity for all of Balearic society.