Diana left Peru two years ago to find a life in Europe. She wanted to work in the tourism industry. Have a stable job.. Life in Spain has not been easy for her. As a migrant without papers she has had to take any job she can get. Sometimes her employers do not pay her enough. Ask her to do different work. This makes her very stressed because she is afraid of being taken advantage of. Read More
Migrants like Diana also have a time getting the services they need. They cannot open a bank account. Rent a house easily. In Spain there is a problem with housing and many people are looking for a place to live. Landlords usually want to see papers before they rent out a house. This makes it very difficult for migrants to find a place to live.
Now the Spanish government has announced a plan that gives Diana and other migrants hope. The government wants to give papers to least half a million migrants who are living in Spain without documents. Diana thinks this is an opportunity. She says that with papers migrants can work officially pay taxes and start their businesses. The government will also benefit because migrants will be contributing to the economy.
The new plan will allow migrants to apply for a one-year visa that can be renewed. They will have to show that they have been living in Spain for least five months and that they do not have a criminal record. The government thinks that around 500,000 migrants will be able to get papers. Some people think that the number could be much higher.
The government says that this decision is based on values. The Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez says that migrants have played a role in Spain’s progress. He also says that the policy is good for the economy. Many migrants are already working in Spain. Contributing to the economy. In fact 14 percent of the workers in Spain are foreigners. Read More
Research shows that Spain needs migrants to keep its economy growing. A report from the bank says that Spain may need around 25 million migrants over the next thirty years. Migrants are already working in industries such as elderly care and hospitality. Furthermore, the agricultural sector also depends on migrant workers to support farming activities.
The government’s plan has been supported by many people, including farmers and business leaders. However, some people are still against the plan. They think that it will encourage migrants to come to Spain and create problems. The government says that this is not true and that the plan has a clear time limit.
Spain has done this type of plan before. In the past the government has given papers to hundreds of thousands of migrants.. This time it is different because many other European countries are making it harder for migrants to come in. The European Commission has warned Spain to make sure that the plan does not allow migrants to move to countries without permission.
Many organisations are helping migrants apply for the programme. For example, in Madrid a group of migrants attended a workshop to learn how to obtain legal papers. During the workshop, one of the migrants, Manuel, said that the programme is a chance for him to work again and contribute to Spain’s social security system. Meanwhile, an immigration lawyer, Pilar Rodríguez, explained that the programme will transform the lives of thousands of people. According to her, with legal papers migrants will be able to support themselves and participate fully in society.
