Lina González arrived in Tarragona in August 2024 fleeing the economic instability and insecurity that plague Colombia. The 48-year-old woman now resides in Constantí and is part of the collective of thousands of immigrants awaiting administrative regularization due to labor ties.
Her personal situation reflects the reality of many compatriots who have swelled the Colombian diaspora towards this province in recent years. González works as a domestic caregiver without contributing to Social Security, an irregular employment status that she hopes to rectify by obtaining the corresponding permits.
"I came here because in my country the situation is very complicated regarding employment and the economy, but above all I left because of the lack of security" - Lina González, Colombian immigrant
The expectation of regularizing her legal status allows her to project a stable future for herself and her 17-year-old son, Emmanuel. Her priority is to leave the informal economy and access the formal labor market.
The hospitality sector claims labor
Hospitality business owners in Tarragona are closely following the regularization process to fill vacancies that have gone unattended for months. The inability to find employees has halted the opening of new businesses in other cities, as admitted by the establishment owners themselves.
Key sectors such as construction or transport have been denouncing the shortage of available workers for years. The local workforce shows reluctance to access these professional fields, which generates a structural dependence on foreign labor.
"Now I am a domestic caregiver but without contributions. Finally, I will be able to stop working off the books" - Lina González, Colombian immigrant
Many of these foreign workers find themselves in an irregular administrative situation, which complicates their legal hiring until the residency applications are resolved. This circumstance maintains a hidden employment pool that affects the productivity of various local industries.
González has clear his next professional step once he gets the documentation. He plans to look for a position in the cleaning sector with a contract that guarantees him labor rights and economic stability.
"I want to stay and live here, also for my son, so that he grows up in a better environment and can study with more comforts" - Lina González, Colombian immigrant
The single mother recognizes that numerous countrymen of hers currently work in the fields or in construction without papers. Her desire to integrate her son into the Catalan educational and social system motivates her stay in Constantí.
The resolution of these procedures not only changes the individual lives of families like González's, but also unblocks a labor market strained by the lack of personnel. Regularization represents the only way for employers and workers to exit informality.