While the anti-immigration discourse is strengthening and penetrating part of the population, the majority of Spaniards are in favor of welcoming unaccompanied migrant minors and their distribution in the different autonomous communities. Simple Lógica’s September barometer, prepared for elDiario.es, shows that 7 out of 10 Spaniards support the distribution of foreign children and adolescents between the different territories of Spain, at a time when the central and Canarian governments are still involved in the negotiations. with the Popular Party after the blocking of the process of reforming the Immigration Law last July.
According to the results, 77% of Spaniards agree to distribute minors who emigrate alone to Spain between the autonomous communities, which contradicts the obstacles that the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla have been facing for years when transferring them to other countries. other regions of the country. . country. For their part, 21% of those questioned are opposed to promoting distribution.
Over the last year, the Government of the Canary Islands and the Central Government have committed – within the framework of the investiture pact with the Canarian Coalition – to respond to the concentration of migrant minors in certain territories by promoting a system of mandatory distribution in case of humanitarian emergency. situations like the one currently experiencing the Canary Islands, which host more than 5,300 minors. The agreed path to create the mechanism involved reform of the immigration law, but PP and Junts canceled its treatment in Congress in July. Today, the Central Executive, the Canaries and the People’s Party are organizing various meetings in “total discretion” to try to reach a political agreement that will unlock the regulatory change.
Beyond transfers, the majority of Spaniards are also in favor of welcoming unaccompanied foreign minors. According to the Simple Lógica study, 67% of Spaniards agree with the “reception and integration” of these children and adolescents, compared to 30% who do not agree.
Vox voters, the only ones against
The trend changes if the responses are analyzed according to the specific characteristics of the population. Who are the most reluctant to distribute unaccompanied migrant minors? The most notable difference lies in respondents’ recall of their vote. Among those who said they voted for Vox, 64% reject the distribution of children and adolescents by communities, while 36% would agree. They, the voters of Santiago Abascal, are the only ones to majority reject the transfer policy.
Despite the refusal of those of Alberto Núñez Feijóo to support the process of legislative modification that would make the distribution possible, 73% of those who supported the Popular Party in the last elections are in favor of the distribution of minors, according to the survey. 25% of their voters, for their part, expressed their rejection of the initiative.
However, support for the distribution of migrant minors between the different autonomy is more notable on the left. The percentage of citizens who agree with the distribution rises to 91% for those who say they voted for the PSOE. The same goes for Sumar voters, who also responded favorably with 91%.
The Popular Party blocked immigration reform in Congress after believing its demands were not being heard. According to the PP’s argument, which Canary Islands President Fernando Clavijo eventually adopted, the government did not negotiate sufficiently with the popular party to reach a consensus, something rejected by the ministries involved in the process.
A few months after the parliamentary failure, while the pace of irregular arrivals to the Canary Islands accelerates due to the favorable maritime situation in the area, the Central Executive relaunched negotiations with those of Núñez Feijóo. The key points to negotiate will be the minimum number of places each autonomous community must have and the details of state funding.
Majority supports accommodation
Voters from the PP, PSOE and Sumar also overwhelmingly support the statement “we must welcome and integrate migrant minors”. However, among those in the PP, the percentage of support drops to 56%, while 40% say they are against its reception. 70% of Vox supporters refuse to serve these children after their arrival in Spain.
Another question asked in the Simple Lógica survey is whether they agree with the phrase “migrant minors should be returned”. In this case, 65% of those questioned say they do not agree, while 31% agree with the return of children and adolescents who emigrate alone to Spain, which must be done in compliance with a series guarantees to respect the legislation for the protection of minors, which makes this procedure difficult if the child does not express his desire to return.
These data contrast with the results of the latest barometer from the Center for Sociological Research (CIS), which indicates that immigration is the main problem for Spaniards, ahead of unemployment. The survey shows, however, that immigration falls to fifth place when citizens are asked about the problem that affects them “personally” the most.
In just three months, immigration has gone from the ninth concern of Spaniards to the first. The total of those who designate it as the first, second or third problem increased from 11.2% recorded in the June barometer to 30.4% in the September one. This increase occurred after the hardening of the Popular Party’s discourse on migration, which in recent months has aligned itself with certain precepts of the Spanish and European far right.
