It was an afternoon full of emotions and gratitude for the Foreigners Department of Mijas at the gala celebrating its 40th anniversary. On Tuesday 27th, the members of this municipal department were surrounded and supported by numerous groups, companies, institutions and associations that regularly collaborate with them. More than 150 collaborators also received a gift from the department as a token of gratitude for always being by their side. "It's incredible that we are here today celebrating 40 years of history", said one of the members of the Department, Katja Thirion, who presented the event alongside her colleague Laura Córdoba.

 

The event featured performances by the Azabache flamenco dance academy and the Manuela Veronese dance academy. In addition, a moving video was shown, recalling the history of Foreigners Department of the Mijas Town Hall, from its inception in 1985 to the present day. The audiovisual piece was produced by Mijas Comunicación, which has also worked closely with the department since it started. "We would like to express our sincere gratitude to our colleagues Ana Skou, Marta Rey and Luisa Machen for their excellent work over the years", said Córdoba. "We have worked together for many years and we are very happy to have you here", added Thirion.

 

The mayoress of Mijas, Ana Mata (PP), who also gave a speech thanking and congratulating those present, said that "this is a department that has always been made up of women who have shown great ability to adapt to people of different nationalities and cultures who have come to Mijas. Over the years, they have shared many pleasant moments, but I believe that the main objective has always been to ensure that foreigners feel integrated into the Mijas community, not excluded, and to provide them with all the information they need to live here. Mijas has always been home to people of many different nationalities and we have always got on very well because in Mijas everyone is welcome. Today, we’re celebrating 40 years of what has become a great family: the Foreigners Department”.

 

The anniversary gala was also attended by members of the State security forces, international groups, the international press, various consulates, and mayors and councillors from neighbouring municipalities who regularly collaborate with Mijas. Friends of the Mijas Foreigners Department came along to show their support for the team that works closely with them on a wide range of matters. These include providing assistance and information to foreign residents, translating documents, giving informative talks, organising integration projects, charity events, business fairs and networking meetings, helping elderly foreigners who live alone, and even supporting foreign women affected by gender-based violence.

"We are celebrating not just an anniversary, but 40 years of success that have made Mijas a key location on the Costa del Sol and an ideal place to live. We are close to reaching 100,000 inhabitants, 35,000 of whom were not fortunate enough to be born in Spain, but made the wise choice to come and live here. They are all truly welcome. In fact, Mijas is a model of integration because everyone is welcomed here, regardless of where they come from, and the Foreigners Department has always played a part in making our lives a little better each day. Hopefully, 40 years from now, we’ll be able to gather again to celebrate once again", said the councillor for Foreigners, Mario Bravo (PP).

 

Greetings

During the celebration, many long-time collaborators of the Foreigners Department praised its work and dedication. “Working with them is always a pleasure, the work they do is outstanding. We mainly liaise with the department as part of the Viogenex group, but they also reach out to us for support with information and police-related matters. We congratulate them, because these 40 years have truly been 40 years of hard work, and I believe the results speak for themselves”, said deputy inspector of the Mijas Local Police, Ángel Blanc.

“We’ve always shared the same objective, which is to provide clear and accurate information to foreign residents. We’re very proud to sponsor this event and to celebrate this anniversary with them, as we’ve been working together for many years. I think the foreign community in Mijas can be proud to have such an active department, I believe they’re doing an excellent job”, said the associate director of Blacktower Financial Management Group, Tim Govaerts.

 

Along the same lines, Patricia Ruiz, a lawyer at My Lawyer in Spain, said: “I think the Foreigners Department provides a fantastic service. They were pioneers in welcoming and embracing the entire foreign population living here. It’s a wonderful department that helps foreigners register, answers their questions… For us, it’s a real pleasure to collaborate with this celebration and to work with them on an ongoing basis. Congratulations on launching this pioneering service, one that many other town halls have since followed, which is a positive development. So, congratulations on your outstanding work and for always treating foreign residents with such care and attention”.

“We have been helping from the La Cala Lions Club for 26 years, organising events and running three charity shops to support those in need, and it is a pleasure to collaborate with the Mijas Foreigners Department”, added the secretary of the La Cala Lions Club, Anita Van Gelder.

 

A Pioneering Service

The Mijas Foreigners Department was founded in 1985 by Ana Skou with the aim of offering personalised assistance to the growing number of foreigners settling in the municipality. Initially, it provided translation services, but it soon expanded to offer information and support related to everyday life in the town. At the time, it was a pioneering initiative in Spain, the only department of its kind.

The Tourist Office was also established around the same time, and the team was joined by Marta Rey, Luisa Machen, and Katja Thirion. Katja Thirion continues to work in the department today, alongside her colleague Laura Córdoba.

In its early days, the Foreigners Department was based in the old Mijas Town Hall (now the Casa Museo), then relocating to the current Town Hall, and it is now located in the Branch Office in La Cala. As the department developed, it expanded its services further, organising international events to bring Spanish culture closer to foreign residents and help them feel truly 'at home'. Some of its most well-known initiatives include the International Day, later renamed Friendship Day, the popular gastronomy weeks, and language exchange workshops.

“I have devoted much of my life to the Foreigners Department, but I’ve done so gladly because I truly love my work. It has been a great privilege. Helping others has always been a passion of mine, and even now in retirement, I continue to support the department however I can. Over the 35 years I worked there, I had the opportunity to help thousands of foreign residents. I was also able to express my creativity by launching new initiatives such as the International Day and Gastronomy Week. I must also say that every mayor and councillor who has been involved with the department has shown genuine interest and strong support. None of this would have been possible without the wonderful team behind the department. We’ve always been very close, working hard without watching the clock, because whenever we were needed, we were there. That, to me, is something truly special”, said the department’s founder, Ana Skou, who is now enjoying her retirement.

 

Attention and Integration
With the aim of helping foreign residents integrate into local life, the Foreigners Department organises informative talks in various languages on topics of interest, international concerts, events, and charity markets in collaboration with local charitable clubs. It also supports business and networking fairs held in the municipality, and several years ago created a group of volunteer interpreters, now part of the AIVOMI association. The department works closely with consulates and public institutions, and has established the Viogenex working group (supporting women who are victims of gender-based violence) and Apenex (providing support for the elderly).

As Ana Mata explained, “the women who make up the Foreigners Department have played a vital role over the past 40 years. They have always gone the extra mile to meet the needs of foreign residents, helping them feel at home, encouraging them to engage with our customs, and, above all, ensuring they stay informed and involved in the life of the community by providing them with everything they need from the Town Hall".

 

The Foreigners Department was created to offer support and services to the town’s foreign population. In Mijas, 125 different nationalities live side by side, and the department serves as a vital link between residents and municipal services. It is not just a municipal department, it is a family, one that has now been serving the community for 40 years. Four decades of hope, commitment, and shared dreams. And many more to come. Congratulations!

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