Spain’s socialist leaders contend that immigrants are essential to counteract the nation’s low birth rates
Over ten million residents of Spain were born in other countries, per recently published government data. Even as it confronts a growing right-wing movement, Spain’s administration has stood firm on its immigrant-friendly policies.
Of Spain’s total population of 49.5 million, more than 10 million individuals hail from foreign nations, according to figures released by Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) on Thursday. The country’s foreign-born population has nearly doubled in the past decade, while its native population has shrunk by over one million due to low birth rates and emigration.
Moroccans form the largest immigrant group in Spain with 1.17 million residents, followed by Colombians (980,000) and Venezuelans (690,000). In just the last year alone, 144,600 Colombians, 94,000 Venezuelans, and 96,300 Moroccans arrived in the country.
As immigration to Spain has increased, the right-wing Vox party has gained significant traction—rising from 2% in 2018 opinion polls to 18% this month, according to an aggregate of surveys compiled by Politico. Vox currently holds 33 seats in the 350-seat parliament and doubled its representation in regional elections in Extremadura in December and Aragon on Sunday.
Vox advocates for the deportation of all undocumented immigrants and stricter immigration and citizenship laws. Last year, the party published an economic and housing manifesto calling for the “remigration” of legal immigrants who fail to integrate into Spanish society, as well as the “mass deportation” of over one million undocumented immigrants granted legal status by Spain’s left-wing government.
The government has shown no signs of changing course. Last month, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced plans to legalize more than half a million undocumented immigrants living in Spain. The move was condemned by right-wing groups and criticized by EU officials in Brussels, who warned it would effectively grant these migrants free passage across the bloc’s border-free Schengen zone at a time when the EU is working to stem the inward flow of migrants.
Sanchez defended his decision in a New York Times op-ed, claiming that “the West needs migrants” to keep its economies afloat and that Spaniards have a “moral duty” to become a “welcoming and tolerant society” for newcomers.
MEP Irene Montero, whose Podemos party governs in coalition with Sanchez’ socialists, went a step further. “I hope for ‘replacement theory,’” she told a crowd of supporters last month. “I hope we can sweep this country of fascists and racists with migrants.”
🇪🇸 | The leader of the Spanish far-left admits at an event that she supports replacing the native population with foreigners to alter voting dynamics:
«I hope for ‘replacement theory,’ I hope we can sweep this country of fascists and racists with immigrants. Whatever their…
— ʜᴇʀQʟᴇs ᴇɴɢ (@Herqles_eng)
The Swiss government announced on Wednesday that it would address its rising immigrant population differently: by holding a referendum on whether to cap the total population at ten million. The population cap was proposed by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which argues that a “population explosion” is driving up housing prices, straining public services, and causing an overall decline in living standards.
If Switzerland’s current population of 9.1 million approaches ten million, the SVP supports a ban on new arrivals—including asylum seekers and the families of foreign residents.