Condoleeza Rice critices Spain prior to visit

Rice criticises Spain over Cuba 2 days before official visit

Condoleeza Rice, the US Secretary of Sate, criticised Spain over meetings with officials from the Cuban government. while speaking to journalists on a flight bound for Europe on Tuesday.

Rice referred to the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, who visited Cuba recently and met with members of the Cuban government but not with any members of dissident groups.

She said that she was ‘not sure whether Spain and the US coincided with each other’ in reference to their policies towards Cuba. Although she did state that she was sure that both countries agreed over the need for democracy in Cuba and that a country like Spain which has been capable of overcoming years of authoritarian rule peacefully and hand freedom to its citizens understands that Cubans deserve the same.

She also went on to say that it wasn’t clear how meeting with the current regime, whose objective is to continue undemocratically, could further this aim. Whilst Moratinos had meetings with important Cuban government officials another member of his team, the General Director for Iberoamerica, Javier San Domingo, only spoke to representatives from dissident groups by telephone.

Nevertheless Rice did stress that Spain was an important NATO ally. She also emphasised that the two countries had worked well together over Afghanistan.
Rice is due to visit Spain on Friday during a week long trip to Europe where she will be attending a meeting of the G8 in Potsdam, Germany. She is scheduled to meet with government officials including Moratinos. This will be the first time a member of the Bush administration has visited Spain since Zapatero became president in April 2004.

Islamic terrorism suspects arrested in Barcelona

16 arrested in operation against Islamist terrorism in Spain

An operation headed by the High Court judge Baltasar Garzón has led to 16 people being detained this week on suspicion of involvement in Islamist terrorism in Spain. Those arrested are accused of looking for recruits to send to terrorist training camps in places such as Afghanistan and Iraq.

13 of the arrests took place in Barcelona, Igualada and Santa Coloma de Gramanet. The rest were in the Madrid neighbourhood of Aranjuez and in Malaga. Information held on computers discovered during the raids is now being analysed.

'Operación Tala' is the result of an investigation into those suspected of involvement in Islamist terrorism in Spain. The investigation, which lasted several months, was carried out by police information squads from Madrid and Barcelona.

During the lengthy investigation evidence was uncovered to suggest that radicalisation of young Muslims took place and the idea of Jihad (holy war) was promoted. Furthermore, those suspected of involvement are accused of having financial links with terrorist camps in North Africa and other countries where there is armed conflict such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

Spanish election results

PP get more overall votes than PSOE but fewer Councillors

According to the results of yesterdays local elections held throughout Spain, the Partido Popular (PP) gained 35.60% of the overall number of votes (7,914,084) compared with 34.9% of the votes obtained by Spain's ruling Socialist party PSOE (7,758,093). Even though the PSOE have 24,026 councillors compared with 23,347 for the PP, the PP has an overall majority in 2,871 town halls compared to just 2,322 for PSOE. This inevitably means that both parties are claiming victory.

The left wing Izquierda Unida party (IU) is now Spain’s third largest party having obtained 5.47% of the overall votes. The level of abstention was higher than elections four years ago - 63.78% Spanish population voted yesterday compared to 67.68% in 2003

The PP won a landslide victory in Madrid and Valencia (both in the Town Hall and Regional parliaments) but lost its overall majority in the Balearic Islands. The PP also retained power in Castellon. The Regional governments of Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura remain in the hands of the Socialists, while La Rioja, Murcia, Castilla y León, Ceuta and Melilla voted once more in favour of their respective PP governments. The Socialists are expected to retain power in Aragon, Asturias and Cantabria by signing a pact with left-wing or regionalist parties.

In the Basque Country the ANV (backed by the political wing of ETA) got 120,000 votes and won control of town halls in Hernani, Mondragón, Oiartzun and Pasajes.
Odón Elorza (PSE) has retained his position as mayor of San Sebastian and Iñaki Azcuna (PNV) will also remain as mayor of Bilbao.

PSOE could take control of the town hall in Jaen, which is currently run by the PP, if it makes a pact with IU and PSOE will also retain power in Sevilla if it makes a pact IU although the PP received the most votes in the Andalucian capital in what was one of their best electoral performances in the traditionally left-wing Andalucia.

Civil Guard Investigating PP in Melilla

According to reports in the Spanish press, doubts over the validity of postal voting have been raised in Melilla. Following accusations made by members of the Melilla Coalition Party the Public Prosecutor’s office ordered the Civil Guard to investigate possible fraudulent practices related to local and regional elections to be held in Spain this weekend.

Yesterday the Civil Guard searched an education centre in Melilla and found food vouchers each with a value of 60 euros. According to the Melilla Coalition Party these vouchers have been given out to Muslim citizens in exchange for votes in favour of the PP. Furthermore, the food vouchers carried the signature of Hassan Driss the Regional Vice-Minister for Welfare and also the PP candidate for Melilla.

Around 90 documents were discovered including 25 named food vouchers, over 20 applications for postal votes and up to 23 voting cards with the same names as those which appeared on the food vouchers.

During their search of the premises the Civil Guard also discovered 8 envelopes which included all the documentation necessary for postal voting. However, each of these envelopes were votes in favour of the PP

Cheaper mobile calls in Europe

Mobile calls abroad 70% cheaper from August this year

The 70% reduction in the cost of using a mobile when abroad will come into effect by August this year following the ratification of a ruling over roaming charges in the European parliament yesterday.

The new rule will put an end to excessive charges when using a mobile elsewhere in the EU. A new maximum charge of 49 cents per minute is to be introduced for making calls and 24 cents per minute for receiving a call.

Furthermore the new rule will establish charges for operators too. This is the price that operators charge each other when their clients use other services while abroad, the new charge will be capped at 30 cents. According to Viviane Reding, the European Commissioner in charge of this new ruling, the new caps on prices will reduce standard charges by up to 70% in the current market.

Further information on the new ruling will be published in the official EU newspaper on 29th June and from this moment onwards operators will have one month to introduce the new ‘European rate’ or offer a better alternative to its clients. The new maximum charges will be applicable in August and all clients who have not opted for any alternatives will be covered by the new consumer protection rate by September.

The ‘European rate’ will be reduced following its introduction this year. After one year it will be cut by 2 cents and in 2009, two years after its introduction it will be cut by 3 cents. In 2008 it will be 46 cents for calls made and 22 cents for calls received whilst operators will only be able to charge 28 cents for their services. By 2009 the charges will drop to 43 cents for calls made, 19 cents for calls received and 26 cents for operators.

The new ruling is only applicable for 2 years, following this the EU will review mobile charges and decide whether to prolong the ruling.

The Bank of Spain warns of rise in arrears in Spain

According to an article published in El País yesterday, the financial sector had a very good year in 2006 according to a report by the Bank of Spain which showed that the net profits made by banks, building societies and credit cooperatives were around 25,717 million euros - 33.6% more than in 2005. Furthermore the number of people getting into arrears was very low. However, it also warns that record profits in the financial sector were down to the amount of credit granted.

Figures from the Bank of Spain show that the number of people or entities getting into arrears doubled its rate of growth in 2006, going up by 10% with respect to the previous year - the rate of growth of arrears in 2005 was just 4.6% which is 15,219 million euros. However, despite this growth, the number of people or entities in arrears continues to be very low at 0.6%.

Credit granted to the private sector amounted to almost 2 billion euros in December last year, a growth of 24.8% compared to 2005. This growth is even higher at 26% if credit granted to companies and Spanish families is taken into account. However, credit granted to families for the purpose of buying a house or flat grew at a slightly lower rate at 22% while credit granted to companies grew significantly by 30.3%.

The real estate sector adds weight to these figures in that credit to building firms rose by 33% and credit to property developers rose by 50%. The Bank of Spain highlighted that this was the most notable growth for ten years. One reason for such a high level of growth in the building sector could be companies trying to avoid extra cost when new rules that are due to come into effect soon on the quality of building work.

The Bank of Spain also underlined the ratio of people getting into arrears is still very low especially for mortgages for which the rate is just 0.4%. Nevertheless, it warned that with interest rates on the rise people or entities getting into arrears will probably increase and that ‘complacency should be avoided’ and ‘the evolution of costs’ should be monitored closely.

Dispute over shipwreck treasure

US company denies that treasure recovered from shipwreck in Atlantic was found in Spanish waters

Odyssey Marine Exploration, a US company, today affirmed that it has recovered more than half a million gold and silver coins, valued to be worth more than 371 million euros, from a shipwreck at the bottom of the Atlantic. However it also denied that the treasure was recovered from HMS Sussex, a 17th century English ship which is thought to lie somewhere to the East of the Gilbraltar straits.

The US company which has headquarters in Florida denied that the ‘Black Swan’, which is the name given to the shipwreck discovered last Friday, was the same as HMS Sussex, for which the company obtained a permit from both Spain and the United Kingdom for its identification it but not for extracting any cargo. It also denied that it was found in waters near to where the remains of HMS Sussex are thought to lie.

Nevertheless, Odyssey Marine Exploration is waiting for the Spanish government to name some divers who will have the responsibility for overseeing the US company whilst they carry out further exploration in the Mar de Alborán aimed at locating the wreck of HMS Sussex. In a statement to the press Odyssey Marine Exploration said that they had no further information on the identification of the shipwreck.

According to the US company the treasure was discovered in a undetermined part of the Atlantic but out of territorial waters or the legal jurisdiction of any country.
There has also been speculation over the origins of treasure from a shipwreck at the bottom of the English Channel between the United Kingdom and France for which Odyssey Marine Exploration recently applied for permission from a US court for the recovery its cargo.

A lawyer from the company indicated last autumn that the company believed that it had found the remains of a 17th century merchant ship which had sunk with a valuable cargo around 65 kilometres off the South coast of England. A judge awarded the US company the exclusive rights over the recovery of this shipwreck just days before it announced the discovery of 500,000 coins last week. To date Marine Odyssey Exploration has refused to say whether the coins are from the shipwreck in the English channel.

The Spanish government has opened an investigation to find out where the US company discovered the gold coins, from which shipwreck, what permission it had and most importantly whether the treasure was found in Spanish waters. The Spanish Minister for Culture, Carmen Calvo, emphasised that when the matter was clarified the government would act accordingly as Spanish law states that anything discovered off the Spanish coast belongs to Spain

Condoleeza Rice to visit Spain

Condoleezza Rice to Visit Spain on 1st June

The US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, will visit Spain, Germany and Austria between 29th May and 1st June, according to information from the US State Department published by the Spanish media today.

The visit to Spain which is expected to take place on 1st June, is the first official visit from a member of the Bush government since President José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero became president and relations between Spain and the US deteriorated because of the Spanish President's decision to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq.

Spanish actor Javier Bardem receives standing ovation in Cannes

Javier Bardem received a standing ovation for his performance in the latest Coen brothers film, ‘No Country for Old Men’, in which he plays one of the leading roles.

‘No Country for Old Men’ is considered by film critics as one of the best pieces of work by the Coen brothers in the last decade. It is based on the novel of the same name by the American author Cormac McCarthy, about a relentless persuit on the US – Mexican border. Apart from Bardem, the film stars Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones and Kelly Macdonald.

In a press conference held after the screening of the film yesterday, Bardem, candidate for the best actor prize at this year’s Cannes film festival after what many consider to be one of his best performances until now, said that he had had the time of his life while making the film and that working with the Coen brothers was like a dream for him.

Bardem said of working with the two brothers that he was very surprised to discover that they slept in separate beds, referring to the way in which the Coen brothers work so well together, a comment which brought laughs from those present. He also said that he had been very unsure about whether or not to accept the role, because he can't speak English and he doesn't like violence. But the chance of working with the Coen brothers was an offer too good to refuse.

Spanish film critics seem to agree that while the Coen's latest film is very good, it isn’t completely successful in that it doesn’t maintain the same level of tension right to the end and there are too many loose ends. However they all do seem to agree that Bardem’s performance adds weight to the film. The Spanish actor starred in The Sea Inside which won an Oscar a couple of years ago.

Related:
The Sea Inside wins Oscar

Controversy in lead up to local and regional elections

Possible mal practice regarding the electin Castelló Town Hall

According an article published this week in the Levante Newspaper the Town Hall in Castellon, run by Spain’s main opposition party the PP, has allowed the inscription of 117 Rumanians on the electoral register. However, all 117 are registered as residing at the same address which happens to be the headquarters of Cáritas, a charity run by the Catholic church.

This situation means that as a result of registering numerous residents at the same address, approved by the local government, more than 100 people who possibly may not really reside in the area have been given the right to vote in the forthcoming local elections.

Conditions at the headquarters of Cáritas, which in reality is only an advice centre, are not those of a residence and according to the paper it is impossible for 117 people to live there.

The discovery of this situation opens the controversy once again over the race for the Rumanian vote in the local elections and the reports of PP run Town Halls in and around Castellon registering fictitious inhabitants on their electoral register.

So far the local government has not questioned the validity of the 117 Rumanians residency at the Caritas headquarters in Castellon and when a reporter from Levante Newspaper went to Castellon to investigate whether 117 Rumanians really lived in the Cáritas Headquarters nobody answered the doorbell.

This is the latest in a series of controversies in the lead up to elections next weekend. In several regions around Spain, parties have accused eachother of trying to inflate the electoral register in order to increase their own votes.

Spain falls further behind in new technologies

Spain falling behind technological advances

According to a study carried out over the last 7 years aimed at finding out which countries in the world are the most innovative in terms of adopting new technologies, the present Spanish government has failed in its pledge to get Spain out of the rut it has occupied in innovation and new technology.

The study, carried out by The Economist, analyses almost 100 quantitative and qualitative parameters. This year Spain comes just 26th out of a total of 69 countries included in the study. The country which tops the list is Denmark for the second time running while he US and Sweden share second place.

The study looked at the infrastructure of information technologies in each country, its use by citizens, companies and the government and its involvement in the development of these technologies. According to the report their classifications allow each government to judge its technological initiatives against that of other countries.

The study also analysed 6 categories under the principle that digital development of a country affected its social, cultural and political structure, technological infrastructure and communications, the business, social and legal setting and the vision of the government and the adoption of new technologies both by companies and individuals. Spain does not make it into the top ten in any of the above concepts and its overall classification is just 7.29 out of 10.

According to the study the quantity and quality of Spain’s infrastructure appears to be its worst category with a ranking of just 6.70 out of 10 - one of the lowest rankings for all the EU countries in the study. This concept looks at the opportunity for individuals to connect to the internet and the availability of broadband internet connection as well as the number of mobile phones. In statistics published in the Eurobarometer Spain is just above the average of 25% of homes with mobile telephones and land lines but below figures for households with computers and access to broad band internet connection.

In terms of government vision and policies in new technologies, Spain earns a mark of 7.25 which is also below other Western European countries, including Malta and Italy, and extremely low when compared with Denmark (9.85).

Spain also ranks badly in the categories of business environment, which analyses the facilities for the creation and development of high-tech companies, and adopting new technologies in a social-cultural setting.

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Voting trends in Spanish elections

Spanish Voting Tendencies

Less than two weeks to go for local and regional elections in Spain, el País published an interesting article with the results of a study carried out to describe voting trends in Spain over the past few years. According to the study, rural and industrial areas vote in favour of PSOE (the Spanish Socialist Party) while urban areas tend to vote for the PP (the Peoples’ Party). This political map has remained virtually unchanged since 1995, when there was a large swing in favour of the PP in the local elections.

These voting patterns have recently been examined by electoral experts because it wasn’t always like this. PSOE’s downfall in large urban areas came in 1995. The following year they were defeated in the General elections. This fall in popularity came after a number of national scandals involving the Socialist government of the day. Many Socialist mayors were the first victims of this electoral revolt.

In fact in the local elections of 1995 PSOE only retained power in 5 provincial capitals out of a total of 52. They improved their position in 1999 and again in 2003 but have never recovered from the huge loss of votes in 1995.

Álvaro Cuesta, a leading member of PSOE has been working with a group of experts who have looked into voting behaviour over the last 3 years. The findings show that voting patterns have been affected by an ageing population, higher incomes, and the fact that young people have been forced to move out of cities because of the constant rise in property prices. In addition to these causes other PSOE leaders have also highlighted disenchantment and lack of political activity in certain sectors of the urban population.

The study found that PSOE leads in areas where there are up to 5000 inhabitants. In this group PSOE received a total of 86,000 more votes than the PP. This represents 6390 Town Halls or just 6.57% of the population. PSOE also dominates in places where the population is between 5000 and 20,000 inhabitants – this represents 882 Town Halls which is 19.7% of the population and just 10.87% of all Town Halls. This works out as 250,000 more votes than the PP.

PSOE leads in populations consisting of 20,000 to 50,000 inhabitants which is 14.82% of the total Spanish population, a total of 126,000 more votes.

Out of 123 Town Halls for areas with more than 50,000 inhabitants PSOE is in charge of 61 as oppose to the 50 which are governed by the PP. The other 12 that remain are in the hands of regional parties or nationalists.

However, when it comes to provincial capital cities where the PP is the clearly in the lead in charge of almost double the number of Town Halls . However, in large industrial areas where there is a large working class population most votes are in favour of PSOE.

The study also demonstrated that in populations with between 50,000 and 250,000 inhabitants, which account for 25.1% of the Spanish population, PSOE governs in 54 cities as oppose to 41 cities governed by the PP.

Out of 12 cities consisting of 250,000 to 500,000 inhabitants the PP has 6 Town Halls and PSOE just 4 with the others being governed by Izquierda Unida and the the PNV, the Basque Nationalist Party.

Finally in populations of more than 500,000 both the PP and PSOE are in charge of 3 Town Halls each. Barcelona, Sevilla and Zaragoza are governed by PSOE and Madrid, Valencia and Malaga by the PP.

Walking holidays in Spain

The Ministry for the Environment to connect Spain’s major rivers via ‘Natural Green Routes’

The Ministry for the Environment has announced that Spain’s major rivers will be connected via ‘Natural Green Routes’ that can be followed on foot, by bike or by an other non-motorized means. Around 1,359 kilometres of natural routes have already been opened within the programme established by the government which will cost in the region of 384 million euros.

The Secretary General for Territory and Biodiversity, Antonio Serrano, presented the government’s plans for ‘Natural Green Routes’. It aims to help develop sustainable rural development and is in partnership with the Foundation for Spanish Railways.

Serrano explained that the Environment ministry is involved in creating 16,000 kilometres of ‘Natural Green Routes’ with an objective of creating 5,600 by 2008.
He said that the government is hoping to open the first ‘Natural Green Route’ that connects the Delta del Ebro with Finisterre in the Atlantic taking advantage of the International Expo to be held in Zaragoza in 2008 in which water plays a central theme. Furthermore, Serrano highlighted that it is supporting mobility which is non-motorized which is part of the Ministry’s campaign against climate change.

The Director of the Spanish Railways Green Routes programme spoke of the importance of local participation referring both to citizens and to local authorities which she said should set up local organizations.

In the long term there are plans to set up long ‘Natural Green Routes’ to connect Spain, Portugal, France and Italy and to create legislative framework in relation to this.

High speed trains in Spain reach new maximum

The AVE - top speed 300 km/h

The Minister for Transport, Magdalena Álvarez, confirmed this week that Spain’s high speed train, the AVE will travel at a maximum speed of 300 km/h although the new AVE trains can reach top speeds of 350 km/h.

She ruled out the possibility of trains between Barcelona and Madrid travelling over 300 km/h. Initially there had been plans for the AVE Madrid-Barcelona to reach maximum speeds of 350 km/h by 2004.

The announcement was made in Atocha station in Madrid following the AVE’s arrival from Tarragona in which the AVE reached a top speed of 300 km/h for the first time. The journey took just over 2 ½ hours, cutting 15 minutes off the previous time.

The Minister for Transport also announced that there would be test runs of the AVE to Sant Joan Despí station in Barcelona and that tests would continue until December 2007. When the AVE is finally in operation from Barcelona, the 4 Catalan capitals will be connected to high speed rail links by a system of shuttle trains.

Álvarez mounted the Ave in Tarragona at the beginning of this week accompanied by the President of Renfe, José Salgueiro and the President of Railway Infrastructure, Antonio González. The train left at 13.45 pm and arrived in Atocha 5 minutes earlier than expected at 16.10 pm making just one stop at Zaragoza Delicias. This is the first time that the Ave has reached 300 km/h.

Álvarez said that rail fares would be the same for the whole of Spain and season tickets would be introduced according to demand, the same goes for the shuttle service in Catalunya.

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Rail travel in Spain
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Spaniards prefer to work fewer hours and earn less

Three out of four Spaniards prepared to earn less in exchange for more free time

Accouring to a study published last week by the European Head Hunting firm, Cátenon, three out of four Spanish citizens are prepared to earn less in exchange for more free time. And a similar proportion believe that to be successful at work you need to be prepared to give up part of your private life according to a study.

The Director of Marketing for Cátenon, Cristina Villanova, said on Europa Press Television that the study showed a growing tendency for Spaniards to value their free time more and more in order to spend more time with the family or on hobbies and that the long working day was one of the main burdens for professionals in Spain.

She went on to say that there was high work satisfaction but that this did not mean that professionals in Spain would not be prepared to give up part of their salary in exchange for a better work life balance. Villanova highlighted that Spaniards valued the atmosphere at work and their work colleagues very highly and that gaining a higher salary and flexible working hours were the biggest incentive to changing jobs.

The study also discovered that 67% of those questioned would be prepared to live abroad as long as it was for a period of less than 3 years on condition that it was for a well paid post. Villanova said that while Spaniards had in the past been reluctant to move for work reasons that this was now changing.

On the other hand, the study also reveals that 75% of those who took part in the study thought that it was necessary to make certain sacrifices in order to have a good career and that this percentage was equally divided between men and women.
Lastly, Villanova said that those questioned also proposed increasing the number of nurseries for workers with children and improving flexible working hours.

Walking in Madrid

Pedestrians in Madrid – the third fastest in the world

According to a report in El País this week, the fact that Madrid is a stressful city full of people under pressure has been confirmed by research carried out by the University of Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom in collaboration with the British Council. The study discovered that pedestrians in the Madrid are the third fastest walkers in the world, covering a distance of 10 metres in around 6 seconds. The only other cities found to be faster were Singapore and Copenhagen.
According to the results of the study Madrid is one of the most stressful places to live if you relate the speed at which people walk and their quality of life. Professor Richard Wiseman, in charge of the study, believes that measuring how fast people walk gives a good indication as to the ‘physical and social health of a city’.

The experiment was carried out by observing thousands of pedestrians all over the world. In each city included in the study a street without many pedestrians was chosen so that the speed at which people walked was normal and not impeded by it being overcrowded. The researchers timed 35 men and women walking over a distance of 60 feet. People who were not carrying heavy shopping bags or talking on their mobiles were chosen at random. According to researchers people who live in fast cities suffer more heart disease and are less likely to help others. Further information on the study can by found at www.richardwiseman.com.

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Guide to Madrid
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Foreign residentes outnumber Spaniards in some towns

Foreigners outnumber Spanish citizens in 15 towns in the Valencian Region

According the National Institute for Statistics (INE) there are now 15 Valencian towns where foreigners outnumber Spanish residents. All of the towns are in the province of Alicante, mainly in and around the areas la Vega Baja and Marina Alta. In San Fulgencio 73.9% of those who took part in the censor were foreigners and in the same district Rojales was found to have the second largest foreign population (69.4%). Following these two towns there were a handful of small towns such as Benitatxell, Llíber (63.7%), Teulada (61.9%), San Miguel (60.1%), Els Poblets (60.1%) and Calp ronda (59.7 %) whose foreign population outnumbered Spanish citizens. Foreigners living here were either EU pensioners in search of sunshine or young people from Eastern Europe, North Africa or Latin America in search of work.
Just a few years ago Benitatxell was the only place where foreigners outnumbered the locals.

The European Office for Statistics (Eurostat) calculates that by 2030 the Communidad Valenciana will have a million more inhabitants due to the growing number of foreign residents coming to this area of Spain, an increase of 7.3% of the total population.

Immigration into the area has continued non stop ever since it began decades ago.
Foreigners who have made their home in the Communidad Valenciana are a mix of nationalities consisting of Eastern Europe, Latin America, Africa and EU countries.

In Algorfa, Alcalalí, Benifójar, L'Alfàs del Pi, Xàbia, Hondón de los Frailes and Torrevieja the proportion of locals made up approximately 50.3% and 57.4% of the population.

According to statistics from the INE the Communidad Valenciana has the second largest immigrant population in Spain consisting of 13.9% of the total population. The Balearic Islands is the first with 16.8% of the population made up of foreign residents.

The Valencianan regional government has warned of lack of resources to cope with its growing immigrant population. It has warned that the civil register could collapse under the significant increase in the number of marriage applications and application for foreign residence permits.