Many immigrants without official residency documents are unable to access many banking services and are deprived of several housing options, at a time when Spain is experiencing a severe real estate rental crisis due to the continuous rise in prices.
The lack of official documentation is a major obstacle for anyone trying to rent a house or deal with landlords.
But the recent announcement by the Spanish government of a plan to legalize the status of at least half a million migrants has given Diana, and many others, a glimmer of hope.
This government plan includes granting foreigners a renewable one-year residency visa, with applications open from the beginning of April until the end of June. Applicants must prove they have resided in the country for at least five months and have no criminal record.
Estimates of the number of migrants expected to apply for the scheme vary. Government figures suggest around 500,000 migrants may apply, while estimates from the police's National Immigration and Border Protection Centre – which were leaked to the media – suggest the true number is between 750,000 and 1.1 million migrants.
وتستند الحكومة الائتلافية بقيادة الحزب الاشتراكي في هذه المبادرة إلى اعتبارات إنسانية، إذ وصف رئيس الوزراء بيدرو سانشيز المهاجرين بأنهم “شاركوا معنا في تقدم هذا البلد”.
But the government also sees this measure as largely in the country's best interest, given that the unemployment rate is at its lowest level in 18 years and the economy grew by 3.0% last year, a rate equivalent to the combined growth rates of the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy.
وقالت إلما سايز، وزيرة الاندماج والضمان الاجتماعي والهجرة، في حديثها لبي بي سي: “العمالة الأجنبية تلعب دوراً مهماً للغاية في نجاح الاقتصاد الإسباني؛ فهم يشاركون في دعم نمو الناتج المحلي الإجمالي، وقوة سوق العمل ومرونته”، مؤكدةً أن 4.1 في المئة من أصل 22 مليون عاملاً مسجل في البلاد من الأجانب.
وأضافت سايز: “منذ 2022، تحقق نصف النمو الاقتصادي في إسبانيا من خلال العمالة الأجنبية. هذه المبادرة تتعلق بالقيم وبحقوق الإنسان، كما أنها مدفوعة بوعي كاملٍ بأننا نواجه تحديات مختلفة، وأن إدارتنا الجيدة للاقتصاد بدأت تؤتي ثمارها.”
A report issued by the Bank of Spain for 2024 came to support the government’s position, concluding that Spain would need about 25 million immigrants over the next three decades in order to maintain the stability of its economy and social security system.
Migrants, both officially registered and unregistered, have a significant presence in the elderly care and hospitality sectors. A large number also work in agriculture, with government data indicating that over 250,000 foreign workers are officially employed in this sector, in addition to thousands of undocumented migrants. The majority of these workers come from North Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.
Source: BBC Arabic
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