Economic prosperity: Spain wants to rely on immigrants

Spain has recently been one of the countries with the highest economic growth rate in the European Union, and forecasts – such as those of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in September – paint a very rosy picture. The inflation rate has fallen significantly recently – and at a relatively low level.

One reason for the growth is the wave of skilled immigrants from Latin America who have eased labor shortages in sectors such as technology and hospitality.

Sanchez wants to break barriers

The Social Democratic Prime Minister said in parliament on Wednesday that migration is not just a humanitarian issue: “It is also essential for the prosperity of our economy and the sustainability of the welfare state, and the key is to manage migration well.”

Spain will act with a series of measures to facilitate the flow of migrants. Sanchez said this would include recognizing academic qualifications, simplifying contracts under a new labor migration program and reducing bureaucratic burdens when applying for residence permits. He also announced plans to improve integration and coexistence between cultures.

Labor shortage despite the high unemployment rate

“Nearly half of our communities are at risk of depopulation,” Sanchez said. “We have seniors who need a caregiver and can't find one. Companies that are looking for programmers, technicians and builders and can't find them. Rural schools that need children so they don't have to close their doors.” “.

Low-skilled immigrants would also help the economy by working in “invisible jobs.” Without it, sectors such as construction, agriculture and hospitality would collapse, Sanchez said. The unemployment rate, currently at 11.3 percent, is one of the highest in the entire European Union, but for Spain it is also the lowest in 15 years.

Moving forward with the EU migration pact

In his speech, he pointed out that two million people fled Spain during the Franco era. It was now almost imperative that we be “the hospitable, tolerant and supportive community they wished to find.”

Sánchez also announced that Spain will ask the European Commission to bring forward the deadline for introducing the migration agreement by one year to 2025. After that, EU member states will distribute migrants and asylum seekers based on gross domestic product, population size and other criteria.

Criticism of the opposition

But anti-immigrant sentiment is also growing in Spain. In a recent poll published by El Pais newspaper, 57 percent of participants said that there are too many immigrants in the country. The right-wing populist Vox party received 12.4 percent of the votes in last year's elections.

Party leader Santiago Abascal blames immigration for the rise in violent crime and regularly warns against overburdening the social system: “They tell us that migrant workers are needed, but they don't tell us that young Spanish workers often have to.” “They left Spain to get here to make ends meet,” Abascal said. Alberto Núñez Viejo, head of the opposition conservative People's Party, which currently has a clear lead in the polls, criticized Sánchez for his government's inaction in the fight against illegal immigration to the Canary Islands.