Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced measures to facilitate the settlement of immigrants in Spain, arguing in favour of migration and its economic benefits, Reuters reported.
[Immigration is] not just a question of humanitarianism…, it’s also necessary for the prosperity of our economy and the sustainability of the welfare state. The key is in managing it well.
To stop illegal migrants, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary reintroduced temporary border controls. Meanwhile, France says it is considering similar steps, whereas Italy is seeking to set up detention camps in non-EU Albania for migrants picked up at sea.
Facilitation initiatives included recognising academic qualifications for temporary workers, simplifying contracts under a new labour migration programme and cutting red tape when applying for residence permits, Sánchez stated.
Skilled migrants from Latin America are boosting Spain’s economy. They fill labour shortages in technology and hospitality sectors.
However, Sánchez went further, saying that low-skilled migrants also contributed to the economy by working in “invisible jobs.” Without them, construction, agriculture and the hotel industry would collapse, the prime minister emphasised.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the EU, sentiment is becoming increasingly hostile to migration. Ahead of next week’s summit, 17 EU member states called on the European Commission last week to tighten EU rules on returning irregular migrants to their home countries.
However, even in Spain, anti-immigrant sentiment is growing. A recent poll published by the newspaper El País showed that 57 per cent believed that there were too many immigrants in the country.
Member of the Congress of Deputies of Spain, Santiago Abascal, said that migration led to an increase in violent crime and overburdened social services.
They tell us that there is a need for immigrant labour, but they hide from us that young Spanish workers often have to leave Spain to make ends meet.
Sánchez said only 6 per cent of migrants entered Spain illegally, with most arriving by sea from West Africa via the Canary Islands. According to the Interior Ministry, some 30,808 migrants arrived in the Canary Islands by sea on unreliable fishing boats in the first nine months of 2024.
The right wants the navy to stop helping shipwrecks and dedicate itself to sinking them. Sending frigates against boats is just that.
