A recent survey in Spain revealed that about 80.5 percent of individuals aged 17 to 25 oppose the socialist government’s plan to grant amnesty to 500,000 undocumented immigrants, according to a digital newspaper report.
This poll, conducted by a company called Sociométrica between April 15 and 18, coincided with the week Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s administration initiated a large-scale amnesty process aimed at providing legal status and work permits to these immigrants.
The Spanish government has faced substantial criticism for this amnesty initiative, which has been met with significant backlash from both the public and parliament.
According to Sociométrica, the survey indicates that opposition to the plan isn’t limited to young people; a substantial 66.7 percent of the broader population also expressed disapproval, while only about one-third showed support.
Opposition to the amnesty was especially pronounced among supporters of the center-right People’s Party (PP), where 85% rejected it, and within the anti-immigration VOX party, where disapproval reached 97.5%.
Despite the widespread dissent, the socialist government has continued to pursue the amnesty program through a royal decree, thus bypassing the need for parliamentary support if enough votes are lacking in Sánchez’s favor.
Sociométrica’s findings also suggest that 72 percent of participants worry that the amnesty could attract more undocumented immigrants to Spain, hoping to obtain similar residence permits as those being offered to the half a million recipients.
Interestingly, even 40.7% of respondents who voted for Sánchez’s Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) echoed this concern regarding a potential “pull effect” from the amnesty.
Moreover, the survey highlights a prevalent disbelief among respondents regarding the government’s assertion that introducing a large number of undocumented immigrants into the workforce would aid in sustaining pensions, especially given Spain’s declining birth rate. Approximately 65.7% stated that having a significant number of undocumented immigrants would not contribute to pension sustainability.
This study was released shortly after Prime Minister Sánchez attributed criticism of the amnesty plan to “xenophobia” directed at immigrants, during an international meeting of progressive leaders held in Madrid.
“Here in Spain, we are approving and promoting the process of regularizing the status of 500,000 migrants,” Sánchez expressed. He added that those on the right and far right who oppose the initiative should recognize that Spain has been shaped by immigration and will not turn into a nation of xenophobia.
