The Spanish Gypsy community which has its own cultural identity, is the country's largest ethnic minority whose population is calculated to be between 300,000 and 350,000 people. A part of these groups is not integrated socially owing to various historic reasons and the rapid processes of social change that Spanish society has undergone.

Their segregation is displayed in their deficient living conditions and in their inequitable access to welfare services, fundamentally housing, education, employment, health care and social services.

The Ministry of Social Affairs launched in 1988, the Gypsy Development Programme, dependent on the General Direction of Social Action.

This programme, in which different ministries, autonomous communities and city councils are participating, aims at full enrollment of school age children, the progressive eradication of adult illiteracy; reduction of unemployment by bettering professional skills and offering alternative employment systems; the promotion of health care and enhanced environmental condition; standard housing; the perservation and extension of Gypsy cultures and traditions and social promotion and development, giving this group access to the diverse systems of protection.

There exist the Associations' Consultive Commission for the Gypsy Development Programme made up of the most significant Gypsy non-governmental organizations.

The social integration of persons who have received refugee status is conducted through:

• The Ministry of Social Affairs' Centres of Attention and Shelters for Refugees, operated by INSERSO, where refugees receive room and board, urgent psycological assistance as well as social services aimed at easing the cohabitation and integration of those persons who are not in an economic positions to care for themselves or their families. At present, three of these centres operate in Madrid and the Valencian Community, which have attended to the needs of nearly 1,200 persons since their inauguration. Other centers operating since 1993 are in Malaga and Seville.
• There are also non-governmental organizations working with refugees (Red Cross, CEAR, ACNUR and 13 other organizations) devoted to emergency relief and integration, resettlement and employment programmes in addition to training and study programmes for Spanish migrants who have returned. During 1992, thanks to a protected housing programme some 1,200 residental places have been occupied by refugees.

Recently an Interministerial Commisssion and 4 delegated subcommissions have been created for the integration of immigrants, to comply with the agreements adopted by Parliament in 1991, and put forth in a bill on the situation of foreigners in Spain.

The policy regarding visas, the legalization of 102,000 persons' residence in the country and the renewal of labour permits are directed towards the integration of an immigrant population residing in our country and the control of the fluctuation of immigrant activity with respect to the Spanish work market.