In Spain, opposition parties seeking to disrupt Madrid’s pro-migrant policies are endangering key pillars of Spanish life, the Socialist-led government stated, Bloomberg reports, according to UNN.
Details
According to Immigration Minister Elma Saiz in an interview, due to a sharp decline in the birth rate, public services in Spain have become dependent on immigrant labor, as have the bars and restaurants that are vital to many cities. According to her, stopping this flow of labor would lead to dramatic consequences.
“We modeled what Spain would look like in 2075 if migration flows were reduced by 30%,” Saiz said in an interview at the United Nations in New York. “The burden on the healthcare system would increase. Schools, farms, many bars, and cafes would close. Every citizen would have to contribute much more to support our public services.”
Her comments underscore the increasingly fierce debate that will define the future of Spanish politics as Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez prepares for re-election next year.
The 54-year-old Sánchez has made his liberal stance on migration and the economic growth it helped create a central point of his campaign for a second term. But the far-right opposition group Vox is also seeking to play on fears regarding access to services, promising to give Spanish-born people priority access to jobs and public sector services.
These arguments will be tested on Sunday when voters head to the polls in Andalusia, Spain’s largest region.
In a world turned upside down by Donald Trump’s return to the White House and agitated by immigration issues, Sánchez has taken on the role of opponent, rejecting U.S. demands to increase defense spending or support a war against Iran, and as a result, has become a target of the U.S. President’s ire.
In April, he strengthened his commitment to the integration of migrants into Spanish society by introducing a program to issue residence permits to undocumented foreigners already living in the country. To be eligible for the permits, applicants must prove they have lived in Spain for five months and have no criminal record. They do not need to have a job.
Initial government estimates suggested that 500,000 people could take advantage of this offer, but senior officials say the number of requests could rise to 1 million by the end of June.
However, these plans are met with resistance from the People’s Party, the country’s traditional center-right party, and Vox, which already govern several Spanish regions together. The parties aim to oust Sánchez in next year’s elections, and polls show they are on track to win a majority of seats in the next parliament.
Spaniards remain divided on the issue for now. A poll published this month by 40dB for El País showed that 38% of respondents support the program, while 33% oppose it.
Next year, they will be able to choose whether their country continues on this path.
