he Congress has extended the deadline for the submission of amendments to the bill to regularize hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants living and working in Spain. The popular legislative initiative, supported by over 600,000 signatures and approved for processing in April, has been stuck for months. Despite initial consensus in Parliament, with all parties except Vox voting in favor, parties like Sumar and Podemos have concerns about the viability of the proposal. Amid debate over government migration policy, pressure has increased on the PSOE to move the initiative forward. The Congress has extended the deadline to September 11, with both the People’s Party and the Socialists intending to submit amendments. However, delays in amendments have been criticized as a tactic to prolong the process.
There is a risk of the initiative being shelved for the entire legislative term. Sumar believes it will be difficult to gain the support of the government coalition partner, especially after President Pedro Sánchez’s recent trip to Mauritania, Gambia, and Senegal, where he emphasized “circular migration” and the need for undocumented immigrants to return to their home countries. Sumar sources acknowledge that their positions on this issue are not aligned with the Socialists. Gerardo Pisarello, the first secretary of the Mesa, defended regularization as a measure beneficial for workers and the economy. He criticized the People’s Party for its “hypocritical” stance on immigration, accusing them of criticizing the government’s policies while acknowledging the need for regular immigrants as labor in Spain.
The public disagreement between the People’s Party and the PSOE on migration policy has increased this summer, coinciding with a surge in arrivals in Ceuta and the Canary Islands. The executive of the Canary Islands has threatened to take the central government to court over the handling of migrant minors, and there has been opposition to reforming the Immigration Law to make the distribution of children and adolescents among regions mandatory. The PP has emphasized the need for a good agreement for a good law and has indicated that they will not support a law that does not meet their standards. They plan to submit an amendment to the bill. Podemos has also called for the bill to be advanced, with Ione Belarra’s party suggesting that the government should nationalize migrants if the necessary majorities are not achieved in Congress.
The debate over the bill reflects broader disagreements on migration policy and the approach to regularizing undocumented immigrants in Spain. While some parties support the bill as a beneficial measure for workers and the economy, others express doubts about its viability and have called for stricter criteria for regularization. The delay in processing the bill and the lack of consensus among political parties highlight the challenges of addressing immigration issues in a complex and polarized political landscape.
Overall, the extension of the deadline for amendments to the bill illustrates the ongoing debate and disagreements within the Spanish Congress regarding the regularization of undocumented immigrants. The differing perspectives and priorities of political parties, as well as the broader political context, influence the progress of the bill and the potential for its approval. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen whether consensus can be reached on this issue and whether the bill will ultimately be passed into law.
