Opportunity for Young Cubans with Spanish Citizenship to Walk the Camino de Santiago

On Friday, the Xunta de Galicia introduced the "Conecta with Galicia on the Camino" program, which provides funding for young individuals to travel and explore the network of pilgrimage routes leading to the tomb of the apostle Santiago in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. According to the official call for applications, 10 young Cubans who hold Spanish nationality and have Galician roots can apply to walk different segments of the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago between July 19 and 31.

To qualify for this opportunity, candidates must be between 18 and 21 years old throughout the program, regularly reside abroad, and either be born in Galicia or be descendants of Galician emigrants. Additionally, they must be registered with the Padrón de Españoles Residentes en el Extranjero (PERE) in a Galician municipality, with at least three months of registration prior to the announcement, and they must not have participated in previous editions of this program.

Applications can be submitted electronically via a form available on the Xunta's official site, or through the Federation of Galician Societies in Havana, up until April 21 of this year. The program is touted as a "unique opportunity" for young Galicians abroad to "strengthen their ties with Galicia and enjoy a rewarding experience walking the Camino de Santiago," with a financial aid of 800 euros offered to those residing in the Americas.

Galicia's Commitment to Its Diaspora

The "Conecta with Galicia on the Camino" initiative, set for 2025, aims to enrich participants personally through interactions with other young Galicians from diverse backgrounds and activities that deepen their understanding of Galicia's current socio-cultural landscape. This includes traveling different parts of the Camino de Santiago and engaging in supplementary events. The official document highlights these objectives.

Thanks to the new Grandchildren's Law, many young people in Cuba have acquired Spanish nationality in recent years. Approximately 300,000 Cubans are currently in the process of applying for passports under the Democratic Memory Law, which allows descendants of Spaniards exiled during the Civil War and Franco's regime to obtain citizenship.

Against this backdrop, Spanish authorities have launched various programs for overseas residents with Spanish ancestry. This month, Antonio Rodríguez Miranda, the Secretary General of Emigration for the Xunta de Galicia, introduced the "Retorna Cualifica Empleo" program, which facilitates the return of Galician emigrants to Spain's autonomous community with a pre-arranged job contract from their country of residence.

The Xunta de Galicia has committed substantial investment through the Galicia Returns Strategy, allocating 175 million euros across 37 measures focused on training and professional integration. This initiative underscores the Xunta's dedication to supporting the Galician community in Cuba, providing pathways for their return and reintegration into Galician society.