The Cabinet of the Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations, through the Regional Directorate for Communities, celebrates the International Migrants Day in Santa Cruz da Graciosa on Sunday.

This day is celebrated on December 18, but this year it will be celebrated in the Region next Sunday in order to allow the participation of all migrants.
 
The event is organised by the Regional Directorate for Communities with the purpose of promoting interculturality and raise the awareness of society for the rights, freedoms and guarantees of migrants. It will be attended by 150 immigrants of various nationalities as well as by returned emigrants residing on Graciosa island.

By reuniting migrants living on this island, the Regional Government also intends to provide a space for dialogue, interaction and sharing of experiences as well as to promote the knowledge on the similarities and differences of different cultures.

The celebrations, which will be supported by the Santa Cruz Town Hall, will take place at the Graciosa Cultural Centre at 4:30 PM. The programme features Russian traditional songs performed by Olena Zhuravska Sousa and Alexander Kuklin, Brazilian and Cape Verdean music performed by Sérgio Melo and Daniela Santos, and traditional music from the Azores and Graciosa performed by the Traditional Guitar Group of the "Casa do Povo" of Guadalupe.

The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families on December 18, 1990.

In 2000, this day was formally proclaimed as the International Migrants Day and since then, it has been celebrated with the purpose of raising the awareness of the international community for the need to protect the rights of immigrants and emigrants around the world.

Embodying these ideals, the Government of the Azores promotes the celebration of this international day, encouraging the healthy coexistence of different peoples and cultures in the archipelago. This event also pays tribute to all Azorean migrants: those who have left the archipelago and those who have chosen the Azores as their new home.