The Spanish government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, has approved a reform of the Law on Foreigners (Ley de Extranjería) to facilitate the distribution of nearly 6,000 unaccompanied immigrant minors across Spain’s 17 autonomous regions, according to Euractiv.
The reform, agreed upon with the Catalan party JxCat (Junts per Catalunya), aims to address the disproportionate migratory pressure on regions like the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla.
The distribution of minors will be based on several criteria, including population size, level of migratory pressure, and local unemployment rates. Catalonia, represented by JxCat, will receive only 20 to 30 minors, a small fraction of the total number.
The support of JxCat, led by former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, was crucial for the reform to pass. Puigdemont, currently in self-exile in Belgium, had previously rejected the measure in July, but his party’s seven MPs in parliament ultimately backed the proposal, ensuring its approval.
Ángel Víctor Torres, Spain’s Minister of Territorial Policy and head of the parliamentary commission on immigration, emphasised the humanitarian aspect of the reform.
Today we are reaping the fruits of a year of hard work. We are talking about children and adolescents.
The reform faced strong opposition from the conservative People’s Party (Partido Popular/PPE) and the Vox party, both of which reject the measure. The PP, the largest opposition force, accused the government of mismanaging immigration policies, whereas Vox has consistently opposed measures to accommodate migrants.
