The reform of the Immigration Regulation approved this Tuesday by the Council of Ministers – which will mean, in three years, the regularization of more than a million people in an irregular situation, according to conservative calculations – coincides with the moment when the Spain suffers increased migratory pressure of its history, as the statistics of the Ministry of the Interior have long reflected. In its latest report, which includes data until the 15th, it is indicated that since January 1, 54,216 people have arrived irregularly in Spain, which is 7,405 more than the previous year, when there were already record figures. This represents an increase of 15.8 percent.
The situation is particularly tense situation in the Canary Islandswhere until this very day they had arrived by sea; That is, in Cayucos, 39,713 people, or 7,500 more than in 2023, which represents an increase of 23.3 percent. The authorities of the archipelago have been launching an SOS for a long time because their reception services are overwhelmed by this avalanche, a situation which becomes dramatic in the case of unaccompanied minors. The figures are better when it comes to arrivals by sea to the peninsula and the Balearic Islands, with a drop of more than 8 percent.
Anti-immigration sources consulted by ABC do not address whether decisions like reforming the system are necessary. Immigration regulationsbut they warn that we must be very careful because, in addition to the undeniable benefits that can result from it, we must weigh what it means for the fight against the mafias that engage in human trafficking.
“Let no one be fooled. News like Tuesday’s represents an inevitable ripple effect, because each regularization implies success for the person concerned and at the same time encourages their acquaintances to try, because they know that they now have a greater chance of succeeding, “say the experts.
“It’s a phenomenon that no one is going to stop – add these sources with more realism than pessimism – because there are millions of young people in Africa and other parts of the world that have neither jobs nor a future. For them, failure is not an attempt, but if they have doubts and receive information that there is a reform in Spain that will allow more than a million regularizations, they are immediately dispelled.
Goodism
In this matter, they insist, there is room for different visions, but not for beneficial analyzes which end up colliding with reality. “Of course, the ideal is that they come with the work.in a controlled manner; But the reality is what it is and Spain cannot change it alone. “We are putting our hands on our heads with the thousands of deaths on the Atlantic route, the one that happens to the Canary Islands and it is the one that affects us directly, but this horror, logically, is not going to improve things .”
“International cooperation, with strong investments in the countries of origin and the fierce fight against the mafias that human trafficking is the recipe, but that it is also not easy to implement -conclude the sources consulted-. “It takes political will and, let’s not forget, it is not easy to work with countries in which there is barely a recognizable state.”
