The Regional Director for Communities considered the importance of creating spaces for the "dissemination of the cultural wealth existing in the Azores," through initiatives intended to promote interculturality.
 
"The thousands of immigrants living in the archipelago, our significant Diaspora and the Azorean emigrants who have returned to the islands over the years are a treasure that must be always valued," said Paulo Teves. He participated in the celebrations of the International Migrants Day that took place at "Casa do Povo" of Criação Velha in the municipality of Madalena do Pico.
 
In this context, the government official stressed that this recognition must be made "not only through the multicultural society in which we live, but also through the contribution they make to the existence of a cultural diversity that enriches us."
 
For the Regional Director, the success of migration processes always consists of how the citizens interact with the host society and how they participate in the new community, which is crucial to their full integration.
 
"Our priority is that the immigrants who live here and the Azoreans scattered around the world are successfully integrated and actively participate in their societies," said Paulo Teves. The government official added that "the better the integration, the greater the opportunities they will seize in several areas, namely in professional terms." In this regard, he highlighted the importance of Portuguese Language courses for foreigners promoted by the Regional Government in the Region on an annual basis.
 
The Regional Director also emphasised that this full integration "does not represent a detachment from their native land, but rather expands the relation between different societies. According to him, "a community with a voice is a community that is recognised and plays an important role in the relation between regions and countries."
 
"In this context, it is important to create moments that allow us to get to know each other better, learn from each other, value our differences. However, we must also have the ability to transmit to others the importance of respecting other people, no matter where they come from," concluded Paulo Teves.
 
The celebrations of the International Migrants Day, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2000, involved the participation of immigrants and returned Azorean emigrants residing on the island of Pico. The event included a session of folk tales from several countries and several musical performances.
 
According to data from the Immigration and Borders Service, there are 3400 immigrants from 82 nationalities living in the Azores, of whom 400 live on the island of Pico. The vast majority comes from Cape Verde, Brazil, Germany, Italy and China, making up a total of 40 different nationalities.