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Local Spain
18-07-2025
- Business
- Local Spain
Immigrants in Spain earn a third less than local workers
Immigrant workers in Spain earn 29 percent less than natives, a new study has revealed. Led by the University of Oslo and published in Nature Journal, the report ' Immigrant-native pay gap driven by lack of access to high-paying jobs ' was carried out by researchers from more than a dozen universities around the world with Navarra's IESE Business School participating in Spain. The results show a significant salary gap between foreigners and Spaniards, with migrant workers in Spain earning 29.3 percent less than locals on average, the highest figure among countries included in the research. This difference is similar to that observed in Canada (27.5 percent) but far ahead of other European countries included in the study such as Norway, Germany and France (20.3, 19.6 and 18.9 percent, respectively) and far exceeds the figures recorded in the United States (10 percent) and Sweden (7 percent). In the nine countries analysed, immigrants earn on average 17.9 percent less than locals. The report concluded that around three-quarters of the wage gap is due to the 'segregation' of immigrant workers into lower-paid jobs, while the remaining 4.6 percent is due to wage disparities within the same job and company. In the latter case, referred to as 'within-job inequality' in the study, Spain also stands out with one of the highest percentages (7 percent), surpassed only by Canada (9.4 percent) and closely followed by France (6.7 percent). The study, which analysed data from 13.5 million people including employers and employees, reveals that, by region of origin of workers, the average wage gaps across countries studied were: Sub-Saharan Africa (26.1 percent), Middle East and North Africa (23.7 percent), Asia (20.1 percent), Latin America (18.5 percent) and Europe, North America and other Western countries (9.0 percent). The exception are non-EU digital nomads who need to earn €2,762 per month to be eligible for Spain's Digital Nomad Visa in 2025, but they work for employers overseas. Fernando Pinto Hernández, Professor of Economics at Rey Juan Carlos University, stated in the Spanish press that 'the Spanish case is particularly worrying and highlights the existence of structural obstacles to labour integration, even for workers who have already entered the formal market.' This comes as experts forecast that in order to maintain the pensions system as a generation of Spanish workers begin to retire. However immigration has flared up as a sociocultural issue in Spain in recent times. The leader of Spain's far-right party Vox, Santiago Abascal, last week downplayed reports that the party intends to deport 8 million foreigners, including second-generation migrants born in Spain
Local Spain
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Spain
What's caused the recent anti-migrant unrest in Spain?
What happened? Torre Pacheco, a town of 40,000 in the southeastern region of Murcia, has seen at least three nights of unrest between far-right groups and immigrant residents, mainly of Moroccan origin. The violence was sparked by the assault of a 68-year-old man on July 9th. He told Spanish media three men of North African descent attacked him without provocation. In response, the town hall -- led by the conservative Popular Party (PP) -- organised a protest against insecurity on Friday. The demonstration escalated when far-right groups joined in, chanting anti-immigrant slogans. Clashes have broken out on several nights since, though a strong police presence helped prevent serious confrontations. The authorities said 14 people have been detained, including three men suspected of involvement in the assault on the 68-year-old who do not live in Torre Pacheco. Among those arrested was a leader of the far-right group "Deport Them Now" which had called online for a "hunt" of immigrants in the town. What was the political response? The mayor of Torre Pacheco appealed for calm and warned against blaming the town's immigrant community for the incident. Around 30 percent of Torre Pacheco's population is foreign-born, with many working in the region's key agriculture sector. But the far-right Vox party, the third-largest force in Spain's parliament, has stepped up its anti-immigration rhetoric. Vox's regional leader, Jose Ángel Antelo, blamed the unrest on "illegal immigration", claiming that migrants had assaulted the elderly and committed sexual violence against women. Vox's national leader, Santiago Abascal, called for "immediate deportations" in response to what he called a "criminal migrant invasion". Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialist party strongly condemned the remarks, accusing Vox of "pouring fuel on the fire". Prosecutors have opened an investigation into Antelo's statement to see if they constitute a hate crime. "This is a clear example of growing tension over immigration issues in Spain," Paloma Román, a political scientist at Madrid's Complutense University, told AFP. Why are tensions rising? Traditionally a country of emigrants, Spain has seen a recent influx of foreign arrivals as living standards improved. In 1998, there were 637,000 foreigners in the country -- about 1.6 percent of the population. There are 6.95 million today, or 14 percent of the total, including some 920,000 Moroccans, the largest foreign community. Spain's leftist government, which aims to regularise up to 300,000 undocumented migrants per year through to 2027, argues immigration helps offset population decline and fill gaps in the labour market. Sánchez is the only leader of a major European nation to champion migration and its economic benefits even as several countries move to tighten their borders against newcomers. According to Spain's national statistics institute, immigration has been a key driver of Spain's buoyant economy, which grew 3.2 percent last year. A recent Ipsos poll found that only 34 percent of Spaniards feel the country would be "stronger" with fewer migrants -- the lowest figure in the European Union. Still, social tensions are mounting. Román linked the trend to the rise of the far right, which has placed immigration at the centre of its agenda. Vox has seized on public unease, recently proposing a sweeping "remigration" plan to deport foreign nationals. "In a country whose growth depends on immigration, this is somewhat contradictory," said Román, who attributed the polarisation to a political tug-of-war between the mainstream conservative PP and Vox. This is compounded by corruption scandals that have weakened Sánchez's government, she added.
Local Spain
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Spain
Why Spain needs millions more migrants, not less
The leader of Spain's far-right party Vox, Santiago Abascal, last week downplayed reports that the party intends to deport 8 million foreigners, including second-generation migrants born in Spain. This followed controversial comments from party spokesperson Rocío de Meer's comments that Vox wants to deport "8 million people". Faced with a growing media frenzy in the left-leaning Spanish press, Abascal shrugged off de Meer's claims and distanced his party from the idea of 'mass re-emigration' because in his words they 'simply don't know' how many migrants there actually are in Spain. Figures from Spain's National Statistics Institute show that there are currently 6.9 million foreigners residing in Spain, less than the 8 million named by De Meer, but a closer look at her words and the party's nativist rhetoric clarify that she was also probably counting foreigners who've acquired Spanish citizenship, as hardline elements within Vox doesn't consider them to be truly Spanish. The debacle has sparked widespread debate about immigration, especially in the future, and the evidence suggests that Spain actually needs more immigrants, not less, according to a whole host of international organisations, banks and financial publications. Just last week, the OECD laid bare Spain's need for more migration in the future. The organisation recommended that Spain increase regular immigration and reactivate older workers in the labour market to ensure economic growth in the face of the expected population decline and demographic ageing. The OECD report highlighted that Spain, like many member countries, will be affected by a 'sharp decline' in the working-age population in the coming decades and needs migrant labour to reinforce the economy. Forecasts suggest that Spain will experience 'the largest decline' in the employment rate relative to the population among OECD countries, with a drop of 10.3 percentage points by 2060, compared to an average of 2 percent for the OECD as a whole. This decline, due to the combination of Spain's low fertility rate and high (and rising) life expectancy, will mean that the number of elderly people per person of working age will rise from 0.34 in 2023 to 0.75 in 2060. The Spanish pension system has long been a concern in Spain. A study by the Bank of Spain last year estimated that the country will need up to 25 million more immigrant workers by 2053 in order to combat demographic ageing and maintain the ratio of workers to pensioners in order to support the pension system. Without an influx of further foreign workers or sudden increase in the birth rate in Spain, something that seems very unlikely, experts fear that the growing disparity between working age people and pensioners could put the public pensions system in danger in the medium to long-term. Migrant workforce Contrary to right-wing rhetoric that suggests some immigrants don't work and rely on welfare, experts say migrants in Spain work especially hard. 'One of the positive effects of migration flows is that they bring workers with very high activity rates, clearly above other countries in our region,' José Luis Escrivá, governor of the Bank of Spain, said recently at a conference on migrant workers and their role in the Spanish economy. This activity rate — that is, foreign workers who are employed or looking for work — reached 78 percent in 2024 in Spain compared to 74.4 percent in Germany, 70.7 percent in France and 71.1 percent in Italy, according to Eurostat data cited by Escrivá. Immigration has contributed 84 percent of the growth of the Spanish population since 2022. With an increase of 1.5 million in the last two years, of which only 300,000 were Spanish nationals and 1.2 million were foreigners, the majority have joined the labour market, contributing 'to expanding the supply [of workers], alleviating labour shortages and boosting economic growth' according to a report by the European Central Bank (ECB), released in May. Spain without immigrants Though Vox's proposal was absurd and a near impossibility administratively-speaking, as a thought experiment Spanish daily El Diario has envisaged the sort of country Spain would be without its migrant workforce. In a long article headlined ' The consequences of deporting millions of immigrants, according to Vox: broken lives and damage to economic growth and pensions ' the right-leaning paper analyses how Vox's mass re-emigration plans would be a serious blow to key sectors of the Spanish economy that rely heavily on foreign workers, which would then have a knock-on effect on the wider economy. According to Social Security registration data from 2024, the sector in Spain that employs the most foreign workers is hospitality, with almost half a million workers, accounting for 27 percent of its workforce. Construction follows, with 20 percent of its workforce coming from abroad. According to the latest data from the INE's Labour Force Survey (EPA), which also includes working people in irregular immigration situations – and not only those registered in the social security – the proportion of foreign workers in construction is even higher than that figure in reality, at almost 25 percent. In agriculture, foreign workers officially account for 25.5 percent, according to the EPA, though it is a sector in which there are many cases of informal work and undocumented migrants.
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Spain's hard-right Vox party vows to deport eight million people who 'have not adopted our customs' or 'impose a foreign religion'
Spain 's hard-right Vox party has doubled down on a vow to deport illegal immigrants by declaring it would also remove foreigners who 'have not adopted our customs'. 'Of our country's 47 million inhabitants... eight million are people who have come from different origins in a very short period of time,' said party spokesperson Rocio de Meer yesterday. 'It is, therefore, extraordinarily difficult for them to adapt to our ways and customs' she said, adding these individuals would be marked out for 'remigration' because Spaniards 'have the right to survive as a people'. Vox leader Santiago Abascal later declared his party would deport 'everyone who came to commit crimes, who tries to impose a foreign religion, who mistreats or demeans women, who wants to live off the work of others.' 'We don't know how many there are,' he added. 'But when we reach the government, we will. And they will all go.' The fiery rhetoric comes as Vox enjoys a significant boost in the polls after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez 's Socialist Party (POSE) slipped in the wake of a corruption scandal. The PSOE was rocked in early June when police released a report alleging graft by top official Santos Cerdan, who has since been removed from his posts and is now being held in custody. Sanchez, who leads a minority coalition government comprising far-left party Sumar, has thus far resisted mounting calls from the opposition to resign and call a snap election. Pollsters Db40, who surveyed 2,000 people from June 26 to 30, said support for the PSOE fell to 27% - the party's lowest rating in two years - from 29.8% in its previous monthly survey. The main opposition People's Party was well ahead on 33.3% support, while Vox - the third-largest party in Spain's parliament - climbed 1.3 percentage points to 15.2%. The leader of the People's Party, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, has gone on record saying that he is not fond of coalition governments. In 2023, his party ultimately won the most votes, but he was unable to form a government and Sanchez swooped in, having drummed up a patchwork alliance of the Left and various small parties to govern. Now, however, with his party's popularity at an all-time high, Feijoo is pressuring Sanchez to call a snap election and could well team with the hard-right Vox party to forge a majority coalition government should such a scenario arise. 'Let's end this nightmare,' he told supporters at a rally last month as he lambasted Sanchez. 'We want to know when he's going to sign his resignation letter.' The People's Party has previously rejected proposed deportation plans put forward by Vox. Sanchez has defended Spain's immigration policies and dismissed Vox's calls for forced deportations. 'Spain was for decades a land of departure, of striving beyond our borders,' he said, yesterday referring to Spanish emigration to the Americas and elsewhere. 'Today it is a land of welcome, and those who arrive contribute with their effort to building a better Spain.' Sanchez has apologised and promised to make changes at PSOE, which will be announced during a congress this weekend. But he has said he intends to stay on through the end of the term and to lead the party in the next election in 2027. A majority of respondents deemed Sanchez's reaction to the crisis, including the firing of Cerdan, as belated and insufficient, although most Socialist voters in the survey said he had acted in a timely and appropriate fashion. On June 30, a judge ordered that Cerdan be held in pre-trial detention, a move that made the situation even more delicate for the Prime Minister. The poll showed 41.2% of those surveyed want Sanchez to call an early ballot, while 17.6% want him to step down and let someone else lead the party.
Saudi Gazette
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Saudi Gazette
Tens of thousands of people took part in May Day rallies across Europe
PARIS — Rallies and demonstrations were organized across multiple major European cities on Thursday to commemorate Labor Day, calling for higher pay, greater equality and the protection of workers' rights. International Labour Day, also referred to as May Day or International Workers' Day, is an annual celebration that marks the struggles and achievements of workers and the labor movement around the world. It's observed around the globe on 1 May, and is a public holiday in most countries. The holiday has its foundations in North America. In May 1886, a violent crackdown on protesters in Chicago — known as the Haymarket Affair — saw numerous deaths and injuries after a peaceful rally in support of workers striking for an eight-hour workday. This led to the Second International in Paris calling for demonstrations to be held in its memory four years later. By the end of the 19th century, many European countries had taken inspiration, and May Day had become a global phenomenon. In Europe, events range in size and shape from nationwide celebrations to smaller-scale affairs. This year was no different, as many protests calling for increased workers' rights took place across major European capitals, here's a preview. In France, thousands participated in nationwide protests, called for by unions across the country. More than 10,000 people participated in rallies held in Paris. Police scuffled with protesters in the capital Paris on Thursday. The scuffles erupted when protesters passed by the Socialist Party militants who were asked to leave the protest including an MP, Jerome Guedj. The demonstrations took place against a backdrop of political instability in the country, where a party deadlock and a historic parliamentary vote that ousted the previous government in December left the country without a functioning government for weeks. In Spain, Solidaridad, the workers' union of the far right party VOX and traditional workers unions staged parallel demonstrations in Madrid for Labor Day. Solidaridad held the rally together with party leader, Santiago Abascal in one of the working-class areas of the Madrid region, Fuenlabrada, to advocate for workers' rights. They carried Spanish flags and criticized the government as well as the recent blackout on Monday. "The work in Spain is bad, many hours, low salary. Life is getting more expensive, and the government does nothing," said Andreu Barba, a gardener. Meanwhile, traditional workers' unions like UGT (General Workers Union) and CCOO (Workers Commission) held a rally in the city centre, where they called for the continuation of improved labor conditions and a reduction in the workday. In Greece, thousands of workers gathered in central Athens on Thursday to mark the occasion. Several workers' unions and trade unions staged a rally outside the parliament building, waving flags and chanting anti-government slogans. Student Foteini Douli said it was important to reflect and remember. 'Of course we are here to honor Labor Day, which after many struggles and with great effort we, workers managed to achieve the eight-hour day, the working conditions and the rest,' she said. — Euronews
