- Feb 26
- 8 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
THE 2026 IMMIGRANT TIMES SOLIDARITY PRIZE
Candidate for the 2026 Prize:
Legazpi, Basque Country, Spain
The Immigrant Times Solidarity Prize will be awarded to a town or city, large or small, where residents have demonstrated that communities thrive when people stand by one another, whether their neighbours are newly arrived immigrants, families with roots in other parts of the world, or locals whose ties to the place go back generations.
Legazpi has been selected as a candidate for the 2026 Solidarity Prize. The Basque Country town has a long tradition of welcoming newcomers. (Photo: Hotel Mauleon, located in the centre of Legazpi) Please send us your comments if you support Legazpi. Please insert Legazpi in the subject line.
About Legazpi
Legazpi is a town of around 8,400 inhabitants in the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of northern Spain. Surrounded by mountains and situated at the foot of the Aizkorri range, its predominant economic activity has long been industrial — manufacturing, metal processing, and plastics.
From the 14th century, the community centred on the iron industry, using first wind and then water power to operate increasingly efficient ironworks. It was in 1908 that Patricio Echeverría founded his factory with just twelve workers, an enterprise that grew into the town's most important industry and also built housing, schools, and social facilities for its workforce.
From around 1955, the prosperity of Legazpi's industries attracted a significant wave of migrants, first from nearby agricultural villages, then from Navarre and Álava, and later from León, Extremadura, and above all Burgos. That experience of absorbing and integrating newcomers became, over generations, part of the town's identity.
Today, that tradition continues on a genuinely global scale. Of Legazpi's 8,442 residents, 1,141 were born outside Spain, a significant proportion for a municipality of this size. The town's newcomers arrive from across the world: in 2025 alone, people registered from Morocco, Pakistan, Honduras, Senegal, Nicaragua, Cuba, Venezuela, Romania, Peru, and more than a dozen other countries. For a relatively small town, these figures reflect how global migration is lived at the most local level.
Both Spanish and Basque languages are present in everyday life, in schools, in public administration, and in social relations. From the municipality's experience, newcomers generally integrate initially through Spanish, which allows them to manage daily life without difficulty. Many then go on to learn Basque voluntarily, particularly those who intend to settle long-term, have children in local schools, or wish to participate more fully in community life. In practice, Spanish opens the door, while Basque has become a gateway to deeper social, cultural, and professional inclusion.
A town that shares space
(This nomination was submitted by Eric Galvez Alvarez, Mayor of Legazpi.)
In Legazpi, solidarity is not a slogan; it is a way of life. People from different backgrounds naturally share schools, workplaces, and public squares. Those who arrive do not take long to find familiar faces, names and helping hands.
This way of living together is not new. Throughout the 20th century, Legazpi was transformed as thousands of families arrived from other regions to work in the local industry. The town grew, reorganised itself, and learned that opening the door does not weaken identity; it strengthens it. This lesson, passed down from generation to generation, explains why today, with neighbours from 52 different nationalities, Legazpi continues to do what it has always done: sharing space.
Arriving and feeling at home from day one
In 2025, the Town Council launched the Ongi etorri gida (Welcome Guide), given to everyone who registers in the town. It is a clear and practical resource, available in six language pairs, with Basque as the base language. The guide explains how everyday life works: health care, schools, transport, waste management, social services and cultural life.
But welcome does not stop on paper. Alongside the guide, a network of 13 Community Ambassadors operates: neighbours who themselves once arrived from other countries and know what it means to start again. They receive newcomers, listen calmly and accompany them in their first steps. Sometimes it is practical information; other times, it is simply a coffee and a conversation that eases uncertainty. Every January, the Town Council also holds an Official Welcome Ceremony at City Hall, publicly welcoming those who have arrived as part of the town.
Learning through listening
In 2024, Legazpi commissioned a diagnostic study on the situation of residents of foreign origin, carried out by the organisation Elhuyar, based on data and interviews with neighbours, associations, schools and municipal staff. The study confirmed peaceful coexistence but also highlighted everyday challenges: housing during the first months, language, and relationships between families and schools. Far from hiding these conclusions, the Town Council shared them in an open public session and made concrete commitments: better coordination of welcome, stable meeting spaces, and stronger support for language learning.
Language as a bridge
The Town Council facilitates access to the Municipal Basque Language School (Euskaltegi) through significant fee reductions, up to 90 per cent for people born outside the Basque Country, those over 65, or those unemployed. Through the Education Table, which brings together schools and social agents, the Town Council has also reinforced specific support for newly arrived people learning Basque.
Empowering participation
Since 2022, Legazpi has been running the Empalabramiento programme, aimed at migrant and multicultural women. It is a space where words, often in a second or third language, become tools for confidence, awareness of rights and participation. Over time, many participants have gone on to join Basque language courses at the Municipal Euskaltegi. It seeks something simple and deep: ensuring that no woman is left on the margins for lack of words.
Celebrating coexistence
Every October, Legazpi holds its Intercultural Day, when the town square fills with music, workshops, children's activities and flavours from around the world. Neighbours from 14 different cultures share food, traditions and time together. People do not attend to observe, they attend to meet one another.
Immigrants speak out
At the public presentation of the guide and the ambassador network, the Mayor of Legazpi summed up its meaning: "We are not just presenting a guide; we are presenting an intention: to look at those who arrive and tell them they are home."
The ambassadors themselves put words to this everyday experience.
Sonia, from Cuba: "I've lived in this country for five years, but I have never felt as welcome as I do in Legazpi. My daughter is at school, I'm everywhere, we feel at home."
Jeovany, from Honduras: "You leave your land, but your land never leaves you. Being welcomed like this makes you feel that you belong to something."
Cynthia, from Peru: "Being treated as one more person is very important. Here we feel that we matter, that we are not invisible."
Legazpi does not claim to be perfect. It seeks to be coherent with its history and its people — and to show that solidarity does not depend on size or great resources, but on a consistent way of doing things: listening to those who arrive, accompanying without patronising, making real participation possible, and celebrating together what unites us.
Overview of nominations
Alongside the mayor's nomination, the Solidarity Prize received a number of nominations from residents and others with ties to the town. They speak with a consistent voice.
Mónica M., also from Legazpi, describes a municipality where social inclusion is actively sustained through educational support programmes, employment support, and cultural activities. She highlights the town's population of just over 8,000, made up of people from more than fifty nationalities, living together "in an environment characterised by collaboration and social cohesion." She also points to a recurring spirit of practical generosity: campaigns to collect food, clothing and basic necessities, fundraising for humanitarian organisations, and steady collaboration with NGOs working in human rights and international cooperation.
Two nominations written in Spanish add further texture. Braulio R. describes Legazpi as "a benchmark in multiculturalism and the integration of people of all kinds of origins, races and ethnicities." And in perhaps the most personal of the nominations, a woman who identifies herself only as Dominicana writes: "I am Dominican. I have been living in Legazpi for 11 years, and they have welcomed me as one of their own. I am proud of my town and of having been part of so many of its activities. We deserve this!"
Individual nominations
(Please note: If you have already nominated Legazpi, there is no need to do so again. Your nomination has been registered. If you have not yet nominated Legazpi, you may do so until mid-summer. How to nominate.)
Nominated by Fernando M. de A., Legazpi
Orgullosos de ser de legazpiarras solidarios, desde hace tantos años que vinieron nuestros padres y nos enseñaron a hacer amigos de todos.
Nominated by Karen S., Legazpi
Es un honor para mí dar todo el apoyo para que Legazpi, siga siendo merecedor de este premio.
Nosotros como emigrantes que vivimos en el pueblo, damos fe, de la inclusión, del cobijo y recibimiento que nos ha dado toda la localidad. No solo hemos sido espectadores, sino partícipes en actividades organizadas por el ayuntamiento con apoyo de los locales, en donde compartimos nuestra cultura, nuestras tradiciones y nuestra gastronomía. Somos miembros activos y parte de esta sociedad como uno más que suma, no como el extranjero.
Nominated by Elena L., Legazpi
Gure herria bakean eta errespetuz bizitzeko lekua izateko denok jarri behar dugu gure elkarrekiko jarrerarik eskuzabalena, eta horrekin zoriontsu izateko bidea aurkitutzen dugu.
Nominated by Patxi O., Legazpi
Porque vivimos en comunidad con tolerancia, porque hemos sido y somos un pueblo agradecido con todas las personas que por distintas circunstancias se han asentado en LEGAZPI.
Nominated by Mónica M., Legazpi
The municipality of Legazpi, in Gipuzkoa, is a prime example of hospitality, solidarity and interculturalism. Since the Industrial Revolution, when it welcomed numerous migrants from different regions of Spain, Legazpi has forged a collective identity based on coexistence and mutual respect.
Today, its population of just over 8,000 is made up of people from more than fifty nationalities, who live together in an environment characterised by collaboration and social cohesion. Cultural diversity is experienced as a shared asset that reinforces the sense of community and commitment to social justice.
The municipality promotes social inclusion through educational support programmes, employment assistance, and cultural and artistic activities that strengthen coexistence. All these initiatives reflect Legazpi's firm commitment to welcoming, supporting, and integrating those who need it most.
The citizens of Legazpi have repeatedly demonstrated their spirit of solidarity through campaigns to collect food, clothing and basic necessities, fundraising for rescue and humanitarian aid organisations, and constant collaboration with NGOs working for human rights and international cooperation.
Because of its history, its present, and its commitment to people suffering the consequences of war, climate change, and poverty, I would like to nominate Legazpi for the 2026 Immigrant Times Solidarity Award, as a symbol of a community that has made solidarity its identity.
Nominated by Braulio R., Legazpi
Creo que Legazpi es un referente en multiculturalidad y en la integración de personas de todo tipo de orígenes, razas y etnias. Debería ser elegido porque representa la convivencia, la diversidad y el respeto mutuo que caracterizan a una sociedad moderna e inclusiva.
Nominated by Dominicana, Legazpi
Hola Soy Dominicana llevo 11 años viviendo en Legazpia y me han acogido como una más estoy Orgullosa de mi pueblo y como he formado parte de muchas de las actividades del pueblo. No lo merecemos!
Nominated by Haritz A., Legazpi
Considero que Legazpi es un ejemplo de solidaridad para el mundo. Tenemos un pueblo multicultural y multirracial. Juntos formamos una familia que se lanza una y otra vez en campañas de recogida de alimentos y acogida. Cada vez que hay un conflicto ayi esta Legazpi a traves de sus muchas asociaciones.
Please send us your comments if you support Legazpi. Please insert Legazpi in the subject line.
Candidates for the 2026 Solidarity Prize
Confirmed candidates, as of April 2026: Zwolle, Overijssel, Netherlands || Oliveri, Sicily, Italy || Legazpi, Basque Country, Spain || Northallerton, Yorkshire, UK || Graz, Styria, Austria || Val-de-Reuil, Normandy, France || Montpellier, France || Santo Stefano del Sole, Avellino, Italy || Hannover, Lower Saxony, Germany || Edmonton, Alberta, Canada ||
Please nominate further towns and cities. The list of candidates will be updated regularly.
Further reading from The Immigrant Times: Introduction to the Solidarity Prize || Nominees from North America. || Nominess from Europe ||
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