The minister for Inclusion, Social Security, and Migrations, Elma Saiz, has called on the autonomous communities to the fourth Sectorial Conference on Immigration of this legislature on Monday, March 17, at the ministry’s headquarters.
According to information from her department, the meeting will address various topics related to immigration policies, including the current immigration situation, the development of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum, the implementation of the new Foreigner Regulation, and different aspects of the upcoming Integration and Intercultural Coexistence Plan.
The European Pact on Migration and Asylum was approved in May 2024. In February of this year, the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and his counterpart Elma Saiz conveyed in a meeting to the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, their willingness to «anticipate» the measures of the Pact.
Specifically, as reported by the Interior, the ministers informed Brunner that the Pact is an «absolute priority» for Spain and assured him that its implementation is progressing «at a good pace and in accordance with the planned deadlines,» towards its entry into force in June 2026.
Regarding the new Foreigners Regulation, it was approved by the Council of Ministers on November 19, 2024, and will come into effect in May of this year. The Government argued that it «simplifies procedures, eliminates duplications» and provides «greater guarantees and legal rigor.» Additionally, it aims to regularize 300,000 people per year over the next three years.
However, the new Regulation has been questioned by various NGOs, including the Spanish Commission for Refugee Assistance (CEAR), Caritas, Red Acoge, and the Jesuit Service for Migrants. They filed an administrative litigation appeal with the Supreme Court on January 20 due to the «incompatibility» between the international protection procedure and the roots, as stated in a press release.
On the other hand, regarding the Integration and Intercultural Coexistence Plan being prepared by the Government, Inclusion recently revealed that its main areas of action will focus on reception and defense of human rights, economic promotion and employment, education, social services and health, housing and coexistence, citizen participation, and equal treatment.
The Sectorial Conference will take place after a total of 9,141 irregular migrant arrivals occurred in January and February 2025 on the Spanish coasts. This represents a 34.9% decrease compared to the same period last year.
Additionally, although it is not within Elma Saiz’s department’s jurisdiction, the meeting on migration will also be held after the Minister for Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, and the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, met in February to agree on criteria for distributing 4,400 minor migrants. Following the meeting, Rego stated that the previous efforts of the communities in hosting these children and adolescents in their territories would be taken into account. However, she later emphasized that none of them would be excluded from this distribution.
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