Elma Saiz and the dribbling technique with immigration
BarcelonaThere was anticipation this Thursday at the Círculo de Economía (Circle of Economy) to hear from the Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration and spokesperson for the Spanish government, Elma Saiz, as she was to speak on a topic that generates political and demagogic controversy: immigration. This very forum, chaired by Teresa Garcia-Milà, issued an opinion piece a few days ago calling for a moderation of the arrival of immigrants and its alignment with a new economic model based on greater productivity. It also demanded a "genuine immigration policy." Saiz, accustomed to touting the achievements of Pedro Sánchez's government (she even conveniently used this to conclude her statements to journalists before entering with a Not in war), he didn't completely satisfy when questioned.
In some cases, such as when asked if the Spanish government planned to review the residency permit system, which, despite being conceived as an exception, has become the most common way to obtain residency and employment, he used a dodge technique, like in football. At some point in the conversation with Garcia-Milà, it seemed like a game of telephone was taking place: one person asks one thing and the other answers another, like in the 1989 comedy. Don't shout at me, I can't see youin which Richard Pryor played a blind man and Gene Wilder a deaf man.
The minister came with a clear message. Nothing new, on the other hand, in many of these events. She vehemently affirmed that immigration is essential for prosperity, given the aging of the native population. Furthermore, the planned extraordinary regularization of more than 500,000 people is legitimate because it continues previous processes, stems from a popular legislative initiative (ILP), and has business support.
It is extraordinary, but not unusual. Since the 1980s, six regularizations have been carried out, benefiting 1.2 million people. The first three were by Felipe González (PSOE) in 1986, 1991-92, and 1996, affecting 38,180, 114,423, and 21,294 people, respectively. José María Aznar (PP) carried out two regularization processes: in 2000, with 264,153 people, and in 2001, with 239,174. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero (PSOE) carried out the largest, in 2005, with 576,506 people.
The Circle of Economy, which does not disagree on many of the issues, surely expected more specific details. And, above all, some message regarding the fact that regularization, which it also considers necessary, should be accompanied by an immigration policy, which, incidentally, the Spanish government believes already exists.
