The Popular Party (PP), led by Alberto Núñez, has announced that it cannot “facilitate the processing” of the immigration law reform set for a vote this Tuesday in the Congress. This decision comes after the government rejected their conditions, as reported by ‘popular’ sources to Europa Press. A conversation on Sunday between the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, and the spokesperson for the Popular Group, Miguel Tellado, confirmed that their positions remain far apart.
On July 23, the Congress will host a debate on the proposal to reform the Immigration Law. This initiative, registered by the PSOE, Sumar, and Coalición Canaria just five days ago, aims to make the redistribution of minors mandatory in times of crisis, such as the current situation in the Canary Islands. The supporters of this proposal only need the Popular Group to abstain for the bill to begin its parliamentary processing.
The PP emphasized on Sunday that they were “clear” in their intentions to support this text. However, they stated that “the government’s refusal” prevents them from facilitating the processing of a law that they believe is based on imposition rather than dialogue.
The conditions set forth by the PP to Minister Torres include declaring a state of emergency for migration across all of Spain, not just in the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. They proposed providing funding to the autonomous communities (CCAA), involving the government in the management of minors, increasing border control, negotiating with Europe for action, and establishing investments and agreements with countries of origin.
Additionally, the PP insists that redistribution must apply to all regions without exception, especially after Junts in Catalonia rejected this idea. “This must be reflected in the proposal so that it cannot be avoided later through transfers of immigration responsibilities to any autonomous community, as expressed in recent weeks,” the PP stated in their communication to Torres.
Minister Torres has reached out to the parliamentary spokesperson of the PP, indicating that he cannot accept the conditions set by the Popular Party for processing the immigration law. He has encouraged Tellado to amend the text during the amendment process, assuming that the bill’s processing will proceed on Tuesday. This suggests that the government expects to secure the votes needed from Junts.
In their exchange, the PP made it clear that the text registered in Congress is not theirs. Therefore, they stated that if their conditions are not accepted, they cannot “assist” in the legislative debate on Tuesday, as confirmed by consulted sources.
The PP believes a “forward-looking approach” is necessary. They view irregular immigration as a “state issue” that requires a “national migration plan.” According to Feijóo, the current state of Spain’s borders is among the most permeable in the European Union, leading to a clear “pull effect.”
The PP argues that a genuine willingness to initiate a state policy on immigration would have led to a Conference of Presidents to seek consensus on legislation with both the autonomous communities and the main opposition party. Their emphasis is on tackling not just a temporary issue, but addressing a phenomenon that is likely to extend over the coming months and years, advocating for a long-term plan that incorporates their proposed demands.
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