Immigrants associations unhappy with Spain's regularization operation
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 5/7/2005

A group of immigrants associations in Spain were dissatisfied with the operation carried out by Spanish authorities to regularize the situation of 1.3 million foreign illegal workers.

The associations say the process, to wind up Saturday, is a "failure and a missed opportunity."

"We cannot say that regularization will settle the problem of underground economy, first because over a half of the undocumented workers cannot have work contracts and second, because Spaniards also work in the underground economy," said the group of immigrants and human rights associations in a statement sent to MAP office in Madrid.

The statement argues that some 800,000 persons will remain without documents and without rights, terming this situation as "hardly tolerable in a democracy."

"Behind each person excluded from the process, there is a tragedy," they said wondering on the destiny of all foreigners who will not succeed in obtaining stay documents

They also called the government to be more flexible in implementing the criteria by which applicants have to produce evidence of living for three years in Spain and of having a work contract.

The socialist government was also criticized for refusing to extend the deadline.

As at May 4, some 565,094 undocumented foreigners applied for stay document. These include 58,301 Moroccans who account for 11.56% of all the applications. Ecuadorians topped the list of applicants with 123,313 applications, followed by the Rumanians (83,669), Moroccans (58,301), Columbians (48,745), Bolivians (33,121) and Bulgarians (19,786).

Out of the 3.6 million foreigners living in Spain, one million of immigrants are from the European Union countries and only 1.3 million have legal stay and work documents.

Previous Stories:
  Spain for 'a positive answer' to Moroccan advanced status with EU, diplomat   (4/29/2005)
  Morocco, Spain deem illegal immigration 'delicate problem'   (4/27/2005)
  Catalonian official: regularisation of Moroccan emigrants situation proceeds well   (4/16/2005)
  Morocco's King calls for better understanding between Moroccan and Spanish peoples   (1/18/2005)
  Head of spanish socialist party: King Mohammed wants Moroccan-Spanish relations to resume normality   (12/21/2001)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search