MÉS enters the debate on immigration and demands that the Islands assume its powers
"It is an obligation not to leave the debate in the hands of the right and the extreme right", said Apesteguia
PalmaThe general coordinator of MÉS per Mallorca, Lluís Apesteguia, launched the party's proposal on immigration this Tuesday. It involves demanding the application of article 32.18 of the Statute of Autonomy, which provides for the transfer of executive and management powers over immigration to the Government. With this position, the eco-sovereigntists are defining their profile on an issue that has already become one of the main public concerns according to the National Institute of Statistics (INE). "It is an obligation not to leave the debate on migration policies in the hands of the right and the far-right," he explained in a press conference.
The also spokesperson for MÉS per Mallorca in the Parliament has highlighted that the population of the Islands has grown by 200% in the last 60 years, and has considered that this growth is "unsustainable". He has also considered that the migratory phenomenon must be observed in its entirety, and has considered that both the people who move for work reasons, the people who arrive irregularly by small boat, as well as those known as 'expats' –foreigners with high purchasing power– who "acquire high-value homes" are different types of migrants.
What would it imply for the State to transfer the immigration powers provided for in the Statute? It is about giving more management capacity to the Balearic Government, because the bulk of the decisions would continue to be taken essentially from Madrid. According to the eco-sovereignist, on one hand, they would allow having an "immigration and foreign affairs service that functions with dignity". On the other, to promote policies that are "coherent in all aspects", and linked to the reality of tourism, housing, and education in the Islands.
The long-term recipe: change of economic model
However, the long-term proposal of MÉS per Mallorca involves degrowth. "You cannot limit the people who enter by decree, that is the easy discourse the right wants to make us believe, that no more should enter," opined Apesteguia: "You cannot put walls on hunger and people's will to live better". Therefore, he said, it is necessary to change the economic model, so that it "is not based on "calling to incorporate people with low wages into the labor market". "We must address the demographic challenge through social justice," he asserted.