Key Findings
Best practice (100% score)
Security and rights associated with employment
Political liberties for political participation
Favourable
Eligibility and integration measures for labour market access
Rights associated with family reunion
Conditions for the acquisition of long term residence
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Overview
Although Spain only recently became a country of immigration, it has quickly become a major destination. 2004 and 2005 saw record flows of migrants - both legal and irregular - from inside and outside the EU. Romanians were the largest group of recent arrivals. The largest groups of legal third-country national residents (herafter migrants) are from Morocco and former Spanish colonies in South America. Migrants are more likely to be employed than Spaniards, although they are twice as likely to have temporary contracts.(1)
The media has focused on the humanitarian crises of irregular migrants travelling from Africa. Many have died trying to reach the enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla or on cayucos fishing boats heading for the Canary Islands. The government has responded with increased bilateral cooperation with countries of origin and transit in Africa, a regularisation programme, concerted action on integration, and calls for greater European
cooperation on migration control, especially through the EU border agency, FRONTEX.
Spain ranks 2nd out of the 28 MIPEX countries on labour market access tied with PT. Family reunion and long-term residence policies are a little less favourable. Spain's weakest policy areas are political participation and access to nationality, where it ranks 14th, and anti-discrimination, where it ranks 17th.
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Integration Policy Timeline
30/12/2005
688,419 irregular migrant workers regularised
03/2006
Spanish Monitoring Centre against Racism and Xenophobia tasked to propose action and promote equality
10/2006
Public opinion survey found Spaniards ranked immigration as the most important problem for the first time
15/11/2006
Department of Economy reported immigrants accounted for 50% of job growth and rise in per capita income
18/01/2007
Catalan President opposed compulsory nature of Catalan language and culture courses proposed by the Catalan Law on Immigrants Reception
19/02/2007
First Strategic Plan on Immigration and Citizenship proposed 2 billion euros for three-year integration measures
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Migrant Profile
