EU Currents: The Spanish Solution

Background

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has taken an unprecedented step to extend amnesty to undocumented migrants who have been in the nation for at least five months. This announcement comes as many other European Union member states and leadership within the European Parliament have been angling for more restrictive immigration policies.

The measure, passed by Prime Minister Sanchez’s Socialist Party, will result in over 500,000 undocumented migrants receiving legal status, allowing them to establish residency in Spain, giving them the opportunity to establish bank accounts, and providing them with the proper documentation to establish a stable housing arrangement.

The plan’s framework also enables migrants to receive a one-year renewable residency visa. Applications will begin in April and will be open until the end of June. Additionally, all applicants must attest that they have spent five months in Spain and have no criminal record.

A History Of Regularization

Though this measure is a departure from recent immigration doctrine permeating the EU, this is not Spain’s first instance of providing regularization for undocumented migrants. Six previous governments have instituted the practice, going back to 1986 under Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez. The Gonzalez government instituted regularization twice in 1991 and 1996. The program was also instituted under the governments of José María Aznar and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

The Zapatero government granted the largest number of residency permits to undocumented migrants, a total of 576,506 in 2005. With the current measures already numbering an estimated 500,000 applicants, it is estimated that the Sanchez government may see a record 750,000 migrants apply for this benefit.

Helping Those On The Margins

The scheme is being viewed through several lenses. Proponents believe that it is a humanitarian imperative and will positively impact the Spanish economy, as many migrants who would benefit from this measure have already been in Spain and are contributing to its economic growth. Prime Minister Sanchez echoed this sentiment: “Half a million people we live with every day, at the market, on the bus, at our children’s schools. People who care for our parents, work in the fields, who have built, hand in hand with us, the progress of our country. Spain is above all a welcoming country, and this is the path we choose: dignity, community, and justice.”

Diana, a 40-year-old migrant from Peru, welcomes the initiative, believing that the measure will enable her to finally establish a life in Spain and pursue her dream of working in the tourism industry.

Establishing residency within Spain is a crucial lifeline, as without proper documentation, migrants can often find themselves at the mercy of unscrupulous employers.

“Working without residency documents is hard because employers can tell you one thing and then get you to do something else,” she said. “Sometimes, they pay you less than what you’ve agreed to, so that makes things tough.”

The inability to receive proper residency benefits has contributed to what is known in Spain as the “black economy”, an economic model where salaries are paid under the table, taxes are flouted and worker protections are few and far between.

According to the University of Murcia, the black economy accounts for 16% of what would normally be part of the Spanish GDP. Most of this total comes from either the tourism or agricultural sector, vocations that often heavily rely on migrant workers. Such a loss in contribution to the nation’s GDP results in a shortfall that affects funding of medical care, infrastructure products and pension schemes. Regularization could result in the generation of €1.2 to €1.4 billion in additional tax revenue.

The “Smokescreen” Argument

Opponents of the plan are painting the initiative in a much different light. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of Spain’s opposition party, characterizes regularization as a “smokescreen” to distract from issues plaguing Sanchez’s party and the nation at large.

Núñez Feijóo’s People’s Party believes that awarding residency based on time spent in the country undermines efforts to fix underlying issues of integration and public service capacity.

Another contentious aspect of this regularization measure is the fact that it was passed through a Royal Decree, instead of the usual method of going through parliamentary procedure. This round of regularization was brought about through a public signature campaign, which garnered almost 700,000 signatures. The Royal Decree was said to be justified as the initiative failed to move through the legislature for over 19 months.

Though the regularization campaign is a recent development and even though it came about through a citizen-backed signature campaign, there are signs that public opinion may be turning against the Socialist party at large due to the measure. In a recent regional election in Spain’s Aragón state, candidates belonging to the Socialist party lost a fifth of their seats within the state’s parliament.

This may have knock-on effects in future national elections, as Aragón has been referred to as “Spain’s Ohio”, given the state’s propensity to serve as a bellwether for the opinion of the general electorate.

Selling The Benefit Of Regularization

The rise in opinion against liberalized immigration standards across Spain and the EU at large may serve as a deterrent to the Socialist party and may have them second-guessing the decision to move forward with such a policy now.

With the regional losses in Aragón, it wouldn’t be a stretch to argue that those results may be a prediction of future electoral losses at the national level. However, history does seem to be on the side of the Socialists.

The 2005 round of regularization proved to be a boon for the Spanish economy, generating an average of €3,504 towards Social Security payments per person. Spain, like much of Europe, is dealing with an aging population and a shrinking workforce. The infusion of cash into the social safety net and the human capital to shore up the workforce is an immeasurable benefit.

The challenge facing Prime Minister Sanchez and the proponents of regularization is successfully packaging the benefits of this measure to critics on the opposite side of the aisle. Spain’s future and the lives of the more than half a million migrants depending on this plan could be in the balance.