The migration summit organized by Giorgia Meloni This Thursday in Brussels is proof of the paradigm shift in immigration that is taking shape within the European Union. And the absence of Spain at this meeting, which brought together fifteen countries, placed Pedro Sanchez offside compared to the majority of Member States.
East Meloni which sets the tone at this turning point, but not unilaterally. The President of the European Commission approved the strengthening of European migration policy by streamlining repatriation processes and strengthening European border security. Ursula von der Leyen also proposed imitating the agreement reached between Italy and Albania to transfer refugees to third territories.
The reservations expressed by countries such as Germany regarding the formula of detention centers in “safe third countries” deserve to be taken into account when considering the relocation of asylum procedures. The migration agreement with Turkey in 2016 was criticized for establishing a country where human rights are not respected as the destination for expulsion.
But what is clear is that there is a new transversal consensus (between socialists, social democrats, center-right and radical right) in favor of new regulation which facilitates the return of irregular immigrants.
Even the German Scholzwho declined the invitation to attend the summit, abandoned the open door model of his predecessor Merkel and proposed increasing the effectiveness of evictions, arguing that “not everyone can come.”
Thus, even Sánchez’s great left-wing partner left the Spanish president alone in his improvised approach, limited to facilitating the regularization of illegal immigrants and promoting Spain as a friendly destination for those arriving irregularly.
It is surprising that the leader of the opposition aligns himself with the new European migratory spirit, but not the president of the government, who perseveres in the Iberian exception to an approach which assumed that it was necessary to take charge of a phenomenon which promotes social tensions and feelings of insecurity.
Regardless of the electoral benefits that the political exploitation of the immigration issue can bring to the president, to support his speech as champion of “open Spain” in the face of xenophobic speeches, The solution will not come from denying the reality of the problem.
Sánchez insisted on Thursday on the need for migratory flows to face the “demographic challenge” and the “sustainability of the social model”. But the aging of the population and the uncontrolled entry of asylum seekers are generating just as much tension on the financing of public services.
Spain cannot distance itself from the new European consensus on immigrationnor Von der Leyen’s desire to explore “innovative solutions”. Especially when our country is one of the most affected by the sharp increase in arrivals on the continental coasts.
The imbalance compared to the countries around us will also increase the pull effect. The other Member States have opted for realpolitik facing the great challenge of our time: accelerating returns to dissuade emigrants in their country of origin and alleviate pressure on the reception system.
