COMMENT: Spain is following in the footsteps of Germany despite that ill-thought out scheme being a disaster for Europe
A boat from Senegal carrying 136 migrants arrives in the Canary Islands (Image: AFP via Getty)
Thank God we left the EU should be the cry after news of the immigration chaos set to be unleashed courtesy of Spain. Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez has effectively granted a path to residency for 500,000 illegal migrants in his country. While historically most illegal immigrants in Spain came from Latin America, a growing number are from North and Sub-Saharan Africa. Many trafficked via the Canary Islands.
The Spanish PM didn’t even bother going through the Spanish parliament. No, he just issued a royal decree to push through his mad plan. (Careful – he’ll give Sir Keir Starmer ideas!) Anyway, illegal immigrants who can prove they lived in Spain for at least five months – and arrived before the end of 2025 – will be on a path to residency. Strict criteria then!
Oh, and even though the Spanish government anticipates half a million, there are over 800,000 potential applicants. Step right up! Even before this crazy plan was announced, the Spanish government had planned to regularise 300,000 illegal migrants per year. Hey, who needs borders anyway?
Migrants storm a fence as they attempt to cross the land border with Spain’s Ceuta enclave (Image: AFP via Getty)
Two things. Firstly, does this not reward criminality and people trafficking, which incidentally is as big a problem for Spain and her territories as it is for Britain with illegal migrants crossing the English Channel? Secondly, and crucially, what a kick in the teeth to the EU! Lest we forget, once granted residency, new Spanish residents will have full rights to work and live across the bloc.
Thank God we left! Yes, we have our own moronic politics creating illegal immigration chaos. But, at the very least, we don’t have to compound that with Merkel 2.0 insanity coming across from the sclerotic EU.
Mark my words, a hefty chunk of these migrants would have ended up on our shores. You can bet a huge number will show up soon in welfare-rich France and Germany. This is the same EU which Labour and the Greens want Britain to rejoin through stealth? I wouldn’t put it past Sir Keir to rejoin the EU’s free movement area in time for these new EU residents to come on over! Maybe he’ll offer a pathway via Gibraltar. You never know.
This of course is why we need a government which believes in Brexit, and will stick to both its letter and its spirit. Look at this second helping of the Merkel madness, which can only egg on yet more illegal immigration.
Three cheers for Brexit!
