Spain wants to become a prosperous country by opening up for migrants. To this end, Madrid will facilitate access to the labor market and residence permits will be issued more easily. But the reform also pursues another goal.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had said that Spain had to decide what kind of country it wanted to be: open and prosperous - or closed and poor.
From May next year, around 300,000 undocumented immigrants must obtain permission to reside and work in Spain. And so every year - at least until 2027. The main goal is to facilitate access to the labor market for people from third countries, explains German public media ARD.
Spain needs migrants
Economist Raymond Torres of the Funcas think tank in Madrid thinks this is logical and correct, as the Spanish economy needs immigration to maintain the growth rates of the past two years. Another important factor is the funding of the pension system - Spain has a highly aging society and many people will soon retire. This is also why the country needs immigrants, adds the expert.
Immigration and Social Security Minister Elma Saiss explained that the government is making it easier to issue visas for people looking for work or training. People who live in Spain without valid documents will also be able to benefit from the planned reform, ARD quoted her as saying.
Spanish immigration law has long dealt with the concept of "rootedness". According to Sais, Spain is even the only country in the European Union that relies on this concept. The conditions for rooting for social or family reasons include, for example, work or study in Spain, and the category called "second chance" includes people with expired residence documents who want to extend their validity. In the future, the procedure will be greatly simplified.
Better protection of labor rights
The reunification of separated families will also be facilitated, and the time during which the applicant must have lived in the country without interruption will be reduced from three to two years. In addition, it will no longer be mandatory to present a certificate from an employer - self-employment will be sufficient.
Lawyer Blas Jesus Imbroda, expert in immigration law and member of the General Council of Spanish Lawyers, appreciates the fact that the new regulation contains more comprehensive provisions on workers' rights, for example regarding accommodation and working conditions - whether or not it is about seasonal workers or people employed abroad. The reform also regulates the way in which workers can change their employer if he does not fulfill his commitments in the employment contract or violates the worker's rights.
Critics: The reform aims to reduce the number of asylum applications
The reform also pursues another, less noble goal, says Mauricio Valiente, director of the non-governmental organization CEAR, which assists refugees. It's really about getting people to not apply for asylum, Valiente believes. "According to the reform, asylum seekers who want to benefit from the concept of 'rootedness' must abandon their asylum application," he added.
In any case, the planned reform can only succeed if the Spanish government provides sufficient resources for its implementation. But in general it is a step in the right direction, emphasizes economist Raymond Torres and recalls that de facto half of Spain's economic growth is due to foreign labor.