Spain’s asylum system has been flooded with roughly 1.3 million applications ahead of the deadline later this month, following the far-left government’s plan to grant mass amnesty to illegal migrants in the country. It was claimed that only 500,000 would apply.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Approximately 1.3 million illegal migrants have applied for Spain’s mass amnesty program as the month-end deadline approaches. 📺 DETAIL: The Spanish government, led by far-left Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, began accepting amnesty applications in April. Applicants who qualify for asylum will receive legal residency and work permits, among other benefits. The program application deadline is June 30. Despite warnings earlier in the year that the number of applications could reach up to 1.3 million, the government insisted that only around 500,000 migrants would be considered. However, new data from Mercurio, the platform used to record and process the applications, suggests the number is well above one million and may include applications with forged documents. The final figures will reportedly be released the same week as the deadline, potentially as early as Tuesday. The government will also reportedly release a study on the “economic impact… resulting from the addition of many people who are now eligible for employment contracts” alongside the final figures. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “The undocumented [sic] population is difficult to measure, but the police, who have better data, have already said it would exceed 1.3 million… These are the applicants; the criteria applied to accept or reject them will be another matter entirely.” – María Miyar, Director of Social Studies at Funcas, a non-profit, in an interview with El País, a Spanish-language newspaper. 🎯 IMPACT: The overwhelming number of applications poses challenges for Spanish authorities, who must resolve all applications within three months. The decision is likely to cause further strain on social services and ignite opposition from much of the electorate. This is likely to compound the unprecedented demographic change being caused by immigration in Spain. Earlier this month, it was reported that approximately 20 percent of Spain’s elementary and secondary pupils come from migrant families, according to recent data from the country’s Education Ministry. 📺 FLASHBACK: Earlier this month, it was reported that social services in Spain are on the verge of collapse following the decision to grant mass amnesty, after the number of applicants reached approximately one million, roughly double what was predicted. |
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