- EDITIONS:
Spanish News Today
Murcia Today
Alicante Today
PROPERTY SEARCH
PROPERTY SEARCH
Spain announces immigration reform to simplify process for migrants
From November, it will be easier and quicker for migrants in Spain to obtain their papers
In a major announcement, the Spanish Government has revealed plans to overhaul the country's immigration regulations in November, streamlining the process for migrants living in Spain to obtain papers and eliminating unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles.
The move, announced by President Pedro Sánchez, aims to make it easier for migrants to settle in Spain and contribute to the country's economy.
According to President Sánchez, the reforms will strengthen the instruments that allow for “legal, safe and orderly migration” and advance the recognition of academic qualifications for people who want to work in Spain.
“We Spaniards are children of migration, we will not be parents of xenophobia,” was his powerful message.
“At stake is tolerance and reality, present and future prosperity, the sustainability of pensions and the health system and the future of our sons and daughters and the dignity of our country,” he added.
President Sánchez heavily criticised opposition parties for perpetuating “lies” about a so-called migrant crisis in Spain and “inventing problems” where there aren’t any. He was eager to debunk many of the myths surrounding migration, stressing that a mere 6% of immigrants enter the country illegally by crossing the sea or the fences of Ceuta and Melilla.
He also detailed that of the total number of migrants, 40% are Latin American, 30% European and 20% African. In addition, he stressed that foreigners who come to Spain have an activity rate 4 points higher than nationals, contribute 10% of Social Security income and use public services and social benefits 40% less than those born in Spain.
New Family Law and integration plan
In addition to the immigration reforms, President Sánchez announced that the PSOE and Sumar will try to reach an agreement with other groups in Congress to approve a new Family Law that will expand the rights of single-parent families, large families, migrants and families with a member with a disability.
The Government will also launch a national plan for the integration and intercultural coexistence of migrants who settle in Spain, although details are still to be announced.
Spain will also call on the European Commission to bring forward the entry into force of the Migration and Asylum Pact that Spain promoted during its rotating Presidency last year, so that its border control and migrant distribution tools begin to be used in the summer of 2025 and not the summer of 2026, as planned.
However, the socialist leader has stressed that Spain cannot demand from Europe a solidarity that “we ourselves do not show within our country”.
Image: ACCEM
staff.inc.and
Read more articles about Illegal Migration
