Feijóo calls for immigration in Formentera that "respects customs": "It must be culturally close."

PalmThe migration crisis in the Balearic Islands has become the spearhead of the latest offensive by Alberto Núñez Feijóo's People's Party (PP), which is two-pronged. It is aimed at Pedro Sánchez's government and also at Vox, with whom it is vying to lead the issue, which has become the third most important citizen concern according to the National Statistics Institute (INE). Feijóo traveled this Thursday to Formentera, the island that receives the bulk of the boats arriving in the Balearic Islands. Accompanied by President Marga Prohens, he presented the main lines of the PP's policy proposal on immigration, a plan the party has been working on in recent months and which will be presented to all PP regional presidents next week. The PP's approach is summed up in this statement by its leader: "Immigration should preferably be more culturally proximate." "Hispanic identity is about sharing social, linguistic, and behavioral ties," Feijóo asserted. "Those who come from other places must commit to abiding by the law and respecting our customs."

The PP is hardening its position to compete with Vox and is proposing to restrict the regularization of illegal immigration. "We must link the employment contract to the entry and stay of the immigrant," Feijóo stated: "If you come with a job offer and keep it during your residency, you will be able to continue in the country." At the same time, he insisted on the proposal to expel immigrants who commit crimes even when they are regularized. "Zero tolerance for irregular immigration and immigration that commits crimes against sexual freedom or multiple repeat offenders; they will be expelled even if they are regular migrants," he asserted. He has also adopted the discourse of the far right, which rejects migrants receiving aid. "You cannot come to Spain to live on subsidies; immigration must be there to guarantee the welfare state," he insisted.

He accuses Sánchez of abandoning the Canary Islands.

After meeting with police and civil guard associations, Feijóo denounced the Spanish government's "nonexistent immigration policy" and "the neglect it is subjecting the Islands to." "In 2017, the number of irregular immigrants arriving on the Islands' shores was less than 1,000, and the number of boats was 100. With July data, the number now exceeds 5,500 and 300 boats—an 80% increase," he said. "That's what it's done to me." Despite the fact that the PP's hardening tone on immigration is due to pressure from the far right, Feijóo defended his position as being in line with other European countries: "Pedro Sánchez is the only European politician who says that anyone can come to his country and everyone can stay." "The PP will not avoid any debate," he proclaimed. "The do-gooder approach to integration has failed."

"We have the right to choose who enters and how," he continued: "Whoever comes to contribute will be welcomed; those who commit crimes will be expelled." In line with the position maintained by the Prohens government, he also attacked the distribution of unaccompanied minors from the Canary Islands. "Saying that they will be distributed as if they were parcels only to the PP-led communities, and that the nationalist ones should not accept any minors, is a racist, disloyal, and unsupportive policy," he opined. Prohens insisted on the same point: "Those of us who the Spanish government considers racist are taking in more than 700 minors." "We will continue to demand a change of policy and government in Spain," he insisted.

"The PSOE and Vox practice an irresponsible two-party system"

At the same time, Feijóo also attacked Santiago Abascal's party. "The PSOE and Vox practice an irresponsible two-party system," he criticized. "Some say immigration is a problem, and others say there are very simple solutions," he said. In a dig at Vox, the Popular Party member criticized that "there are parties that have never solved a problem and then have very simple solutions." "Today in Spain, there is only one state party left, which is the PP," he boasted.