Spaniards call for tougher stance on immigration
Jul 14th, 2008 | By Captain Chaos | Category: Spanish News

More than two-thirds of Spaniards are unhappy with government policy on illegal immigration, according to a poll published yesterday.

Those questioned called for a tougher stance from the government of Spain’s Socialist prime minister, José Luis RodrÃ*guez Zapatero, on so-called sin papeles (unregulated migrants). Of 700 people questioned, 67% said they did not agree with the government’s policies on illegal immigration.

The poll, conducted by Metroscopia for the Spanish daily El Pais, follows the deaths in the past week of 35 would-be immigrants who succumbed to exhaustion, thirst or hunger while trying to reach Spain.

Fourteen migrants, including nine children under the age of four, died before their drifting boat was rescued off the coast of AlmerÃ*a, southern Spain on Wednesday.

On Friday, six migrants died after travelling in a kayak for two weeks before it was intercepted off La Gomera in the Canary Islands. Fourteen others died on Monday when their boat capsized off Motril, near Granada.

The apparent hardening of attitudes amongst Spaniards towards illegal immigrants comes as the country’s economic problems deepen.

Spain, which once had the fastest growth among the world’s eight biggest economies, is expected to see its growth fall to 1.15% next year from 3.8% in 2007.

Unemployment is set to rise to 11% in 2009. Immigrants, many employed in the hard-hit construction industry, have been worse affected.

The poll comes against amid a growing backlash in Europe against immigration. One key strand of French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s Mediterranean union, launched yesterday, if for better economic development in North Africa to reduce migratory pressure towards Europe.

Zapatero said last week that said granting more development aid to poor countries was the most effective way to curb a wave of illegal migrants.
But the socialists are to toughen measures to send home illegal immigrants and enforce stricter checks on family members coming to Spain to be with legal migrants.

The government will also offer financial incentives to unemployed immigrants to return to their countries of origin.

Miguel Pajares, a doctor of social anthropology from Barcelona University who has written a report on immigration for the government, said: “I think the crisis may have helped form these opinions. “But at the same time, the political emphasis on illegal immigration may have also influenced people.â€