“We cannot tolerate the massive regularization that Pedro Sánchez has implemented. It is not possible. It goes against the European spirit,” he stated. Bruno Retailleau, former Minister of the Interior of France and candidate for 2027 presidential elections, in relation to the regularization of 500,000 immigrants in Spain.
The statements were made this week during an interview on Yann Barthès’ ‘Quotidien’ program, where the former minister was deeply concerned about these new immigration policies of the Spanish Government: “I think Spain has a huge problem today. Sánchez is regularizing 500,000 undocumented immigrants which, obviously, will be able to cross the border. “That is where we have to act,” he insisted, claiming that the solution to this would be to “isolate Spain from European nations” and “reestablish border controls.”
Surprised by his words, the journalist insisted: “Are you saying that you would isolate Spain from European nations?” To which Retailleau reiterated: “Of course. (…) We can already do it. As you know, we have been living in an exceptional situation for nine years since 2015. When there is a crisis, we are authorized to do it. I myself signed a request to the Commission so that we could.”
His intervention has not gone unnoticed, especially among the most conservative media in the country, such as CNews, where they highlighted the comparison between Spanish immigration policy and a covid crisis: “The idea of reestablishing border controls in the Pyrenees is reminiscent of the covid crisis. Bruno Retailleau uses the metaphor of viral contagion. Pedro Sánchez’s socialism must remain confined in Spain thanks to preventive measures,” explains journalist Paul Sugy.
Further critics It was the parties of Renaissance and Horizons, who considered these statements “very unfortunate”. “A ridiculous and irresponsible statement,” commented the deputy, Pieyre-Alexandre Anglade. The leader of the French Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, also came out in defense of Sánchez; “Beyond the fact that what Retailleau says is completely ineffective and absurd, Sánchez is an honor for Europe, both for his labor regularization and for his geopolitical positions,” he declared through his X account.
The proposal to apply a border between France and Spain is far from being faithful to the spirit of the Maastricht Treaty, founding pillar of the European Union, in addition to generating some surprise coming from the president of the Gaullist and historically pro-European party, The Republicans.
“It would not make sense for a recently regularized Spanish migrant to cross said border and thus jeopardize the maintenance of his residence permit. Regularization grants a one-year permit, which then has to be changed to a work permit, so he will necessarily have to be in Spain to ensure its continuity. In France, it would mean starting over,” he clarifies. EL PERIODICO, Carolina Gimeno, lawyer specialized in immigration and global mobility in Spain.
“There is no call effect”
Retailleau’s intervention has also been criticized for being more typical of the extreme right than the conservative right. Precisely, the leader of National Group, Jordan Bardella, He also did not hesitate to give his opinion on this new regularization policy: “Obtaining a residence permit in Spain, for example, should not allow free movement in all countries of the European Union.”
Less than a year of the presidential electionssome see in these statements a clear intention to toughen their immigration discourse in a pre-election context: distance itself from a decade of Macronism, but also differentiate itself from the National Agrupation with a political stance that, according to the president of Los Republicanos, is of a “reasonable radicality”: “I am not a demagogue,” Retailleau insisted.
Given the media commotion generated, the Government of Spain insists that “There is no “call effect”since the regularization affects people who have already resided in the country for at least five months, therefore, it does not encourage movements to other European countries, but rather this extraordinary measure, which expires this June, “seeks to remove people already integrated” into Spanish society from the underground economy.
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