The municipal shelter for seasonal workers in Úbeda (Jaén) will begin operating this Wednesday starting at 19:00, advancing by one day the date that had been initially set for its launch.
"This decision responds to the need to offer a welcoming space and shelter in the face of the weather conditions expected for these days, thereby ensuring early care for the people who arrive in the city during the olive harvest campaign 2026-2027," the City Council has explained in a statement.
The councilor for Social Welfare, Natalia Pérez, oversaw the shelter, where throughout the day the necessary setup and organization work is carried out in order to be able to serve the people who require this resource.
The councilor has indicated that, given the forecast of bad weather, "it has been essential to give priority to this opening," so that the entire operation has been accelerated so that the shelter can start offering accommodation starting this very evening.
Along these lines, she described the opening as "a concept of shelter, an anticipated concept, of urgency, but also of human quality," highlighting the importance of providing a swift response to the needs that may arise in the coming days.
Pérez has underscored the involvement of the different municipal departments of the City Council of Úbeda, whose coordination has made it possible for the work to be carried out quickly and for the resource to be available one day earlier than planned.
She has also expressed her recognition to the citizens and to the members of the Permanent Local Migration Commission, who have contributed to adjusting the initial planning in order to adapt it to the new situation.
"From the City Council of Úbeda, work continues on coordinating and preparing the municipal resources intended for the care of seasonal workers, with the aim of offering an appropriate response during the olive harvest campaign 2026-2027 and helping it to take place with the greatest normality possible," she said.
With the start-up of the Úbeda shelter, three devices will be active in the province of Jaén, together with those in the capital and in Porcuna. In the past night, these resources had been occupied, respectively, 157 of their 170 places and four of the 21 available, according to data provided to Europa Press by the Junta de Andalucía.
Provincial map of resources for seasonal workers
The resource map designed to serve temporary people who arrive in the province of Jaén to pick olives includes the staggered opening of 14 municipal shelters, the same number as the previous campaign, with a total of 569 beds, four more than last year.
The proposal of the Provincial Forum for the Care of People of Migrant Origin to the town halls, which are responsible for managing these facilities, set an opening window between November 2 and 6. However, for the time being only the shelters in Jaén and Porcuna are operating, pending the opening in Úbeda in the afternoon of this Wednesday.
In Alcalá la Real, the Local Immigration Commission has scheduled the opening of the Coto shelter between November 16 and 20. This resource has 18 beds and establishes a maximum stay of four nights for people in regular administrative status who are seeking employment, offering accommodation, meals, laundry services, and social care.
In Martos, the Town Hall expects to open its shelter next day 16, with the option of moving the date earlier if demand so requires. It has 29 beds—24 for men, four for women, and one adapted—and will provide breakfast, lunch, dinner, personal hygiene, transportation, and laundry services.
In Andújar, the Local Forum for the Care of Migrant People has specified that the municipal shelter will have 34 beds—30 for men and four for women. The exact opening date has not yet been set and will be established based on the arrival of temporary people and the needs detected by municipal services and social agents.