Spain's 'humane migration policy' is 'model for Europe', minister says

Spain's migration argumentation is "almost similar a authorities policy", focused connected integration, coexistence and recognising the affirmative publication of migrants, the country's migration curate Elma Saiz told Euronews.

While overmuch of Europe is hardening its stance connected migration, Spain, nether Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's leadership, is taking a precise antithetic approach.

"Spain was erstwhile a state of migrants. Today it is simply a state of opportunities," Saiz said during an interrogation for Euronews' interrogation programme 12 Minutes With, stressing migration is simply a cardinal origin successful the country’s economical and societal development.

At the centre of its existent migration argumentation is simply a regularisation process that could assistance ineligible presumption to much than 500,000 radical already surviving successful the country, a measurement approved earlier this year.

"These are radical who are already among us. The contented is that they presently person neither rights nor obligations," she said. To beryllium eligible, undocumented radical indispensable person been surviving successful Spain for astatine slightest 5 months, oregon person asked for asylum earlier the extremity of 2025.

Regarding the skepticism among a conception of the colonisation astir the capableness of nationalist services to supply attraction for each those radical without the strategy collapsing, she argued that "it is highly important that nationalist services are strengthened successful enactment with the colonisation they are meant to serve"

Saiz highlighted that the inaugural paving the mode for hundreds of thousands of immigrants surviving and moving without authorisation successful the state to use for ineligible presumption is backed by beardown nationalist support.

The programme originated from a citizen-led legislative connection signed by much than 700,000 radical and supported by hundreds of civilian nine organisations, employers’ groups and institutions.

Damaging relations?

The European Commission, arsenic good arsenic respective subordinate states, have expressed definite reservations astir the plan, particularly owed to its imaginable effects wrong the Schengen area. One of the main concerns is that immoderate radical would effort to instrumentality up residence successful different EU countries without permission.

But Saiz insisted that the measurement afloat respects the rules of the European Union, including the Schengen system.

She explained that regularisation falls wrong nationalist sovereignty, arsenic it concerns radical already residing successful Spain and moving wrong its economy.

"We are talking astir thing that falls, arsenic European representatives person rightly said, nether the sovereignty and decision-making of our country, because it is present that they volition beryllium capable to enactment and live," the curate said.

The Spanish government's program does not mean that recently documented individuals tin freely determination to different EU countries connected a one-year enactment permit. They volition beryllium capable to reside and enactment solely successful Spain.

A antithetic way successful Europe

The determination regarding this wide regularisation was besides made without consulting European partners, thing Sánchez was criticised for. Many successful Brussels interest it could struggle with the European Union's existent argumentation of tightening migration rules.

Saiz argued that Spain is offering an alternate exemplary based connected "regular, orderly and safe" migration.

She described Spain’s argumentation arsenic an planetary notation point, noting that irregular arrivals person decreased importantly successful caller years, peculiarly on routes specified arsenic the Canary Islands.

According to the minister, this demonstrates that a humanitarian attack tin coexist with effectual migration management.

Saiz besides argued that migration argumentation should beryllium guided by grounds and semipermanent reasoning alternatively than governmental pressure, presenting Spain’s attack arsenic some pragmatic and principled successful a changing European landscape.

“I would similar to callback that much than 40% of the jobs created since the labour betterment person been taken by overseas workers, who are progressively joining much highly qualified sectors", the Minister said.

At the aforesaid time, she pointed to advancement astatine the EU level, including the Migration and Asylum pact agreed during Spain’s presidency of the Council of the EU, which she said reflects a shared committedness to coordinated solutions. This needs much context

Spain’s broader planetary stance

Beyond migration, Saiz framed Spain’s presumption arsenic portion of a wider effort to play a much progressive relation internationally, promoting multilateralism and adherence to planetary law.

"Our presumption is fundamentally astir being accordant with the values that person taken each of america a large woody of effort to achieve, and which are precisely what sustains the European Union," she said.

Spain has rejected the demands of immoderate NATO allies to summation subject spending up to 5% of GDP, maintaining that its existent defence commitments are due and aligned with agreed corporate objectives wrong the Alliance.

This has sometimes led to differences with leaders specified arsenic US President Donald Trump, peculiarly connected planetary argumentation issues arsenic Trump has sharply criticized Spain’s position, describing it arsenic insufficient and astatine times suggesting imaginable consequences, including economical unit and adjacent questioning its lasting wrong NATO.

However, the curate emphasised that Spain remains a "reliable partner" with beardown ties to the US.