Over Errenteria
When 30% of your 39 000-strong population is of foreign origin and over 90 nationalities walk your streets, the moment a newcomer first encounters the administration sets the tone for everything. Errenteria decided that moment deserved more than a form and a stamp.
In the new Welcome Office, newcomers receive a 60-minute private interview in a soundproofed room; unhurried, attentive, and designed to ensure that health card processing and social registration happen before anyone can fall through the cracks. From that first encounter, the system connects migrants, women, LGBTIQ+ people and persons with disabilities to the full ecosystem of municipal services: the Women's House, the LGBTIQ+ Council, and the Badalab, a cultural laboratory where young migrants blend their mother tongues with Basque.
Quality is ensured through innovative tools. Ethical mystery shopping detects unconscious bias in service delivery. An independently managed anti-discrimination incident box captures what official channels might miss. And community representatives do not simply advise on inclusion initiatives - they hold a co-governance vote and veto power.
Also shortlisted in the Specific Award: Building an Inclusive Labour Market for All — click here to read more.