After Spain's Amnesty for 800,000 Illegal Immigrants – Prime Minister Demands More Countries Help Migrants

Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez found himself in political hot water this spring after pushing through a sweeping amnesty granting around half a million illegal immigrants the right to stay—and according to some estimates, the final number could reach as high as 800,000 or even one million migrants. But it doesn’t stop there. Sánchez is urging more countries to follow Spain’s example and is taking a more active and inclusive role in migration policy.

It was at a conference with mayors in Madrid that Pedro Sánchez emphasized the importance of cities and municipalities worldwide protecting all their residents—regardless of background or legal status to even be in the country. This is reported by Bloomberg.

– I ask you to continue leading locally and always stand by your residents’ side, regardless of how long they have been registered or their country of origin, Sánchez said at the meeting.

Sánchez highlighted the importance of cities as the first point of contact for people seeking a new future. He argued that local authorities often go ahead of national governments in creating inclusive communities for migrants.

Sanctuary Cities for Illegals

He paid special attention to so-called “sanctuary cities” that actively work to protect and integrate migrants despite political opposition.

– I especially want to recognize and highlight what are called sanctuary cities, said Pedro Sánchez according to Bloomberg, and continued:

– The first door that opens for those in need, for those who have a life project, for those who want to explore and create.

In Spain, the government has recently launched an extensive program to grant residence permits to hundreds of thousands of people who already live in the country without legal status. This differs from many other EU countries, where the focus is rather on deporting people without legal residence.

According to the think-tank Funcas, there are around 840,000 illegal migrants in Spain. The American newspaper LA Times also reports that this is the final figure that’s at stake. The opposition in Spain questions the socialist government’s calculations and claims that the real number of illegal immigrants who may be affected is closer to one million.

Supported by Sweden’s Social Democrats

At an international left-wing conference in Spain earlier in April, organized by Pedro Sánchez, among the speakers were Sweden’s Social Democratic leaders Magdalena Andersson and Stefan Löfven. Löfven expressed his full support for Sánchez, who had just previously presented his broad amnesty for undocumented migrants.

He also applauded the prime minister’s statements on right-wing extremism and praised the migration policy before the audience.

– You can’t make a deal with racists, said Löfven in his own speech about nationalist-conservative parties, ending his remarks with the historic slogan from the Spanish Civil War: “No pasarán!” (“They shall not pass”).

The government highlights immigration as a driver for growth. At the same time, it remains a fact that Spain has one of the highest unemployment rates in the EU and significant structural problems in the economy.

In addition, Spain also has major problems with housing shortages. Rapid population growth in large cities has led to a deficit of hundreds of thousands of homes.

Despite strong resistance from opposition parties in Spain, Pedro Sánchez stands by his course and has given the green light to the extensive amnesty. According to the prime minister, openness and inclusion are not only moral principles but also strategic investments in the country’s long-term development.