Spain’s approach to migration has become two-fold: on the one hand, it aims to utilize migration to increase economic growth, but on the other, it is now struggling to control illegal migration, which provides far-right groups ammunition for seething violence across the country.
Migration Policy for Economic Growth
The center-left government led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez introduced a new strategy for migration to make up for the aging population and increasing poverty.
This government has provided about 700,000 illegal migrants with offers of legal status since 2021, with another granting legal amnesty to thousands more, especially to those from predominantly Catholic, Spanish-speaking countries.
In late 2024, Migration Minister Elma Saiz announced a new plan to legalize 300,000 more undocumented migrants per year over the next three years to continue expanding the labor force and to maintain the welfare state.
Such policies resulted in its economy growing by 3.2 percent, which topped other Eurozone states like France (1.2), Italy (0.7), and Germany (-0.2). But 2024’s Spain was better than Britain (1.1) and the Netherlands (1.1) as well, according to OECD data.
Foreign workers are mostly responsible for this; out of the 468,000 jobs created in 2024, around 409,000 are estimated to have been filled by migrants or people of dual nationality. According to the Bank of Spain, immigration is responsible for over 20% of contributions to the 3% GDP per capita income growth between 2022 and 2024.
Many immigrants come from Latin America (the largest numbers from Colombia, Venezuela, and Peru) and choose to live and work overseas instead of trying their luck in an increasingly hostile US, signaling that their experience in Spain is largely positive.
These arrivals tend to take on work in services, construction, farming, fishing, home care, and cleaning – areas the Spanish are unlikely to take on, in part due to lower wages.
Riots and Far-Right Influence
Rafael Doménech, the head of economic analysis at Spain-based bank BBVA, told the Guardian earlier this year that migration and, more importantly, integration must be managed properly, or tensions turn into social unrest and ammunition for the far-right.
Torre Pacheco, a town where 32.2% of the population has foreign origins, experienced such violence earlier this month when anti-migrant demonstrations began on Wednesday, 9th July, due to a 68-year-old man’s beating, later turning into riots.
Taking his morning walk, Domingo Tomás was attacked by three men of African origin, one beating him. All three have been arrested, and police have said the beating may have been part of an online ‘challenge.’
Right-wing party Vox’s spokesperson Rocío de Meer declared around the time of the demonstrations that they aim to deport 8 million people who have “recently come to our country and have not adapted to our customs,” adding heat to the fire.
Far-right groups, such as ‘Deport Them Now,’ called for attacks on people of North African origin, while unrelated videos of a beating circulated online, claiming to show Tomás’s incident. These fake posts were amplified by political figures, including the leader of the SALF party.
Tomás himself later condemned the violence committed in his name.
“Criminals come in all colors,” he told El País.
The Issue of African Migrants
Spain experienced a record in boat arrivals, with more than 60,000 irregular migrants reaching Spanish shores in 2024. The Canary Islands have always been a major hub, but as of late, Mallorca has emerged as a new destination.
Most arrive from Algeria, but other common nationalities include Senegal, Morocco, Guinea, Somalia, Mauritania, and Mali, according to UNHCR data.
African migrants tend to be the targets of such violence, as they are the most likely to enter the country illegally and represent cultural and linguistic differences.
Spain has agreements with several African countries (like Morocco and Mauritania) to block arrivals on the Western Mediterranean Route. However, human rights violations by these national guards have been reported by journalistic investigations, leading some to question this strategy to ease migration.
There is a long-standing rift in Spanish politics regarding the issue, as similar unrest erupted in El Ejido in 2000, after three murders, carried out by Moroccans, became the cause of violent unrest. The event necessitated the involvement of riot police, who patrolled the streets for weeks afterward.
The Spanish government has been vigilant regarding racist violence and is making constant attempts at integration to avoid such events. In May, the government announced new migration regulations and trainings of staff to be up-to-date regarding laws, which aim to integrate migrants by providing work, facilitating circular migration, tackling discrimination in private housing, the issue of minors, and hate crime monitoring.
As the leading party, PSOE, and PM Sánchez battle corruption scandals, it is possible that their efforts as well as their migration policy will be ousted with the government as the VOX party gains ground, leaving migrants vulnerable.
