A New Proposal from an Economic Perspective
Alberto Nadal, the Deputy Secretary for Economy and Sustainable Development of Spain’s People’s Party, has publicly stated that undocumented immigrants already residing in Spain should be regularized to guide them into sectors with the most severe labor shortages. He criticized the ‘empty slogans’ of the far-right Vox party advocating for immigrant expulsion and argued that the open-border policy of the left-wing Socialist Party is also not a viable solution. Nadal advocates for a ‘selective immigration’ system, setting criteria based on the actual labor needs of the country and specific industries to attract the immigrants who are genuinely needed.
Addressing Demographic and Labor Challenges
Nadal pointed out that Spain is facing an ‘extremely low’ birth rate. He believes that even if pro-natal family policies were implemented immediately, it would take decades for the effects to become apparent. Therefore, having ‘immigrants who come to work’ fill the labor gap caused by the declining birth rate is a reality that must be faced now. He also cited and supported the proposal by the Catalan business association Foment del Treball to integrate 1.5 million immigrants into the labor market over the next ten years.
A Major Shift in Party Policy
This latest statement marks a significant change in the People’s Party’s stance on immigration. As recently as the party’s national congress in September 2025, party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo had made hardline remarks, advocating for tightening residency policies and deporting immigrants with criminal records, a move seen by observers as an attempt to compete with the far-right VOX party for votes. Analysts suggest the People’s Party’s recent softening of its position may be related to concerns among the mainstream European right about the rise of extremism, prompting the party to return to a more pragmatic course.
Potential Reopening of the Amnesty Debate
Previously, a popular legislative initiative that gathered over 600,000 signatures calling for a parliamentary debate on a mass regularization for undocumented immigrants was shelved due to a lack of interest from both the People’s Party and the ruling Socialist Party. Now, with the People’s Party, Spain’s largest party, sending new signals on the immigration issue, conditions may be ripe for the topic of mass regularization, which has been frozen for nearly a year, to be revived in parliament.
