In an era where xenophobia is on the rise across the globe and countries are looking to restrict the flow of immigrants and refugees, Spain is going against the grain by recently announcing it will legalize 300,000 undocumented migrants a year, starting next May and through 2027.
“The policy aims to expand the aging country’s workforce and allow foreigners living in Spain without proper documentation to obtain work permits and residency. Spain has largely remained open to receiving migrants even as other European nations seek to tighten their borders to illegal crossings and asylum seekers,” the Voice of America reported.
Spain “has been largely receptive to migrants even as other European countries such as Italy and Germany seek to tighten border controls,” Reuters reported.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez “has often described his government’s migration policies as a means to combat the country’s low birthrate. In August, Sánchez visited three West African nations in an effort to address irregular migration to Spain’s Canary Islands,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Immigration and Refugee News Digest 