“At a time when many Western democracies are trying to keep immigrants out, Spain is boldly welcoming them in,” writes By Omar G. Encarnación, in a recent New York Times Op-Ed.
While the country’s low birthrate is one factor in its welcoming embrace of migrants that only tells part of the story, he notes. Spain’s “rich and complex history helps explain the relatively high level of tolerance for immigration among Spaniards.”
“Ultimately, however, Spain’s immigration politics owe most to the administration of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, one of the last exponents of social democracy in Europe. Although decidedly liberal, Mr. Sánchez’s approach is far from an experiment with open borders. Instead, it’s as pragmatic as it is deliberate. It’s true he has built-in advantages not shared by other European leaders. But by marrying practical solutions to an uplifting message, he has provided a case study in how to build support for progressive immigration policies,” writes Encarnacion.
Spain “is proving an important point: A generous immigration policy is not a threat to the nation or to a thriving economy. More than that, it is a resource for growth and renewal that Spain’s peers spurn at their cost,” he notes.
The Immigration and Refugee News Digest 