The leader of the centre-right Spanish People’s Party (PP) has said he will implement a points-based visa system for migrants if he gets in power, one which would favour foreigners who adapt “better” to Spanish culture.
Partido Popular leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo on Sunday further proved his party’s new ‘tough on migration’ stance as the PP continues to lose votes to far-right party Vox, ahead of the 2027 general election in Spain.
Feijóo announced his plans for a points-based visa system during an event in Murcia, one of the places where Vox has gained the most voter support in recent times.
He suggested that a new points-based visa could control the entry of migrants seeking jobs in sectors which need more workers, especially those who adapt ‘better’ to Spanish culture.
“We advocate for a new points-based visa that prioritises entry for those who want to work in sectors where there are labour shortages, for those who know our culture best, and for those with a greater capacity for integration,” Feijóo said.
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The opposition leader also proposed “rewarding” countries that cooperate with Spain’s immigration policy.
“The visa will also take into account the commitment of countries to our immigration policy. If they help us restore order, they will be rewarded; and if they encourage disorder, people coming from those countries will obviously not be granted visas,” Feijóo added.
He didn’t specify how all this would be done, however, but other governments such as Italy and Australia, pay third countries directly for each deported foreigner they receive.
Spain cannot “give up control” of its borders in favour of “the mafias,” who are forcing “thousands of people into the sea” and putting their lives at risk,” he said.
READ MORE: Will far-right Vox play a role in Spain’s next government?
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The opposition leader also insisted that he would have “zero tolerance” for foreign criminals, which would automatically lose the right to residency if they committed a “serious” offence, even if they have legal status in Spain.
He did, however, reject mass deportations, alluding to Vox’s recent announcement it would kick out more migrants than there actually are in Spain.
“You won’t find us having a policy of ‘whoever wants can enter’, but we don’t have to throw them all out either,” he added.
The final point Feijóo made on immigration was that the policy must be based on the principle that “contributing must be a condition for remaining”, which means that immigrants must work and pay taxes in order to stay in Spain.
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According to the Galician politician, under the current system, thousands of migrants enter Spain “illegally without the desire to work, apply for residency without any permanence or contract requirements, and then request assistance such as the Minimum Living Income (IMV)”.
The PP leader sees it as a priority for Spain to tackle “illegal immigration,” which he believes has been made worse by Sánchez’s socialist government.
