Feijóo sees the regularization of migrants as a ploy to “divert attention” from the Adamuz accident | Spain

The PP a ploy to “divert attention” from both the Adamuz train accident (Córdoba) and the controversy surrounding railway management. The Popular Party, which had already launched itself this Monday against the President of the Executive, Pedro Sánchez, due to the tragedy, proclaims that the agreement reached between the Executive and the Ione Belarra party is only a “smokescreen” to cover its responsibilities. Vox, for its part, accuses the President of the Government of wanting to “replace the Spanish people” and calls for “repatriations.”

“Up to 46 dead. Hundreds injured. No resignation,” said Alberto Núñez Feijóo through social networks. “And Sánchez’s first response is a massive regularization to divert attention, increase the call effect and overwhelm our public services,” added the PP leader about the agreement, which will benefit more than half a million immigrants. “In socialist Spain, illegality is rewarded. Sánchez’s immigration policy is as crazy as the railway policy. When we come to power I will change them from top to bottom,” he declared. The PP had requested this Monday the appearance of the president and the Minister of Transport. But only Óscar Puente will attend.

Beyond these accusations, the PP opposes the measure. In April 2024, the PP voted in favor of the first step of the popular legislative initiative that promoted regularization in Congress. . However, the Popular Party has been backing down little by little and retracing its own steps by registering amendments to try to have the rule modified with a more restrictive nature. Among other demands, they wanted the regularization process to be carried out “in an individualized and not generalized manner.”

All while Vox pushed for the right, booming in the polls, and against whom it has fought in recent months to monopolize the flag against people of foreign origin. Under this strategy, this fall, Genoa presented its own plan on immigration in which it outlines in black and white the hardening of its position. In the document, among other issues, the conditions for acquiring nationality or for carrying out regularizations are further narrowed, in the opposite direction to the intentions of the Government and Podemos pact. The Popular Party had already supported its position also in Congress, last September, “restricting the regularization of illegal immigrants through roots.”

And, this Monday, in a statement after the announcement of the agreement, Genoa maintains its position. “Spanish nationality and residence are deserved, not given,” he argues. “For this reason, the main party in Spain defends a profound reform of immigration policy that returns nationality to its highest meaning: a merit, a reward for effort and real integration, not a simple bureaucratic management,” he adds. “Giving roles without guaranteeing a future is irresponsible with very concrete social consequences, because it accelerates social fracture, breaks coexistence in entire neighborhoods and generates parallel communities where the common reference of norms, culture and belonging is lost,” he emphasizes.

Electoral struggle

As expected, Vox has in turn come out against the Royal Decree. “500,000 illegals! The tyrant Sánchez hates the Spanish people. He wants to replace them,” Santiago Abascal shouted through social networks. “It must be stopped. Repatriations, deportations and remigration,” declared the leader of the ultra group before other members of his party flatly rejected the initiative with a cascade of messages. “By Royal Decree, without going through Congress, against all logic and all reason. The number one of the gang and his henchmen govern against the Spanish,” added its spokesman, José Antonio Fúster.

But the announcement of the extraordinary regularization of migrants also has its echo in the struggle between PP and Vox to champion measures to reduce immigration. And on top of that, in the middle of the electoral dominoes and with the Aragón campaign already started. Thus, Vox has not lost any ground and has taken advantage of the situation to attack from Brussels against the PP for having voted in favor of taking into consideration the popular legislative initiative in 2025. “The Popular Party is absent from the debate on returns of illegal immigrants,” the Vox profile of the European Parliament has published. “Whoever is not against the invasion is with the invasion. That is why they voted with the PSOE to regularize 500,000 illegal immigrants, either by boat or by plane with false tourist visas,” they stated.