Analysts in Spain are divided over a long-awaited request by US President Joe Biden for Madrid to begin accepting Latin American migrants, a move that would help ease pressure on the border with Mexico.
Some commentators say the migrants would ease a labor shortage in Spain at a time when the tourism industry is recovering from the pandemic.
Others consider that Spain should only receive more migrants from Latin America if there is a political and economic need, and not to integrate with Washington.
An announcement on the relocation of migrants to Spain is expected during the Summit of the Americas taking place in Los Angeles.
The online news site Axios reported last week that Biden would ask Spain and Canada to accept more migrants, citing documents reviewed before the summit.
If the plan goes ahead, it could politically benefit Biden, whose administration is facing unprecedented numbers of migrants trying to enter the United States through the Mexican border.
Neither the governments nor the White House have commented on the report, while a spokesman in Spain told the voice of america that he “could not comment on it at this time.”
many incentives
Commentators in Spain say that there are many reasons to accept the request. Spain is in desperate need of labor despite having the highest unemployment rate in the European Union at 13.5%.
In many cases, Spaniards prefer not to work as waiters or in construction, according to sources from both sectors.
Gerardo Cuerva, president of the Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises, said last month that there was a deficit of 100,000 workers in the hotel and construction sectors. Tourism contributes around 12% of GDP in Spain, according to the country’s Institute of Statistics.
The Spanish government is considering laws that make it easier for foreign workers to obtain work permits in Spain and allow students from outside the European Union to work, but these plans are at a very preliminary stage.
Spain is home to some 5.3 million foreign migrants, of which 1.5 million are from Latin America.
The common language and culture, and agreements between Spain and the governments of Latin America make it easier for Latin Americans to move to Spain to work, and for this they do not even need visas.
The number of foreigners fell by 42,000 in the first six months of 2021, when many left the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic and because they had lost their jobs.
political advantage
The move could help Spanish President Pedro Sánchez try to get the US to lift more tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump on goods such as tuna and solar energy products.
Politically, Sánchez could cement an alliance with Biden before a NATO summit in Madrid this month. That summit is important for Spain because it is expected to reveal a strategy for the alliance in North Africa, a region of interest to Spain.
Sánchez has been ridiculed on social media for allegedly failing to catch Biden’s eye. When the two first interacted at a NATO conference in June 2021, they spoke for less than a minute.
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