My first reaction to this article is that the Spanish government’s decision seems to be too optimistic.
As you know, many European countries and the United States have been shifting toward stricter immigration policies in recent years. Countries such as Germany, Sweden, and the U.K. have struggled with the rapid influx of migrants and refugees. At first, many of these countries were very open to accepting people from other parts of the world, but later many of them tightened their immigration policies.
Take Germany, for example.As far as I know, it was the first country in Europe to announce that it would accept large numbers of refugees around 2015, mainly from Syria. At that time, the government emphasized humanitarian responsibility and showed a very open attitude toward immigration.
However, in recent years, Germany has tightened its immigration and asylum policies after facing various social challenges, such as increasing crime rates by immigrants. This change suggests how difficult it can be for a country to maintain social stability while accepting large numbers of immigrants who come from completely different cultures, religions, and historical backgrounds.
Because of that, Spain’s decision to move in the opposite direction feels somewhat risky.
Another interesting point is that this is not the first time Spain has granted legal status to undocumented immigrants. According to other news sources, Spain carried out similar legalization programs five times between 1986 and 2005, so this would actually be the sixth time.
Because of that history, some people argue that it may be able to manage immigration better than many people expect. They believe the country has experience dealing with this issue.
But in my opinion, the situation today seems quite different from 20 or 30 years ago. In recent years,
more and more people, not only from North Africa but also Latin America or even some Asian countries, are trying to move to Europe in search of better opportunities or safer lives.
By the way, I recently watched a Japanese documentary program about the history of immigration in Europe. It was very timely because it was related to today’s topic.
What I learned from the program was that countries like the U.K., France, and Germany actively accepted immigrants after World War II in order to rebuild their devastated societies. However, decades later, when global economic crisis occurred, and the unemployment rate skyrocketed, the anti-immigrant sentiment intensified and local people tried to exclude them because immigrants were seen as unwanted competitors.
Then, in 2015, during the Middle East crisis, known for "the Arab Spring" occurred, European countries once again accepted large numbers of Syrian refugees from a humanitarian perspective. But after that, as crime and terrorist incidents involving some immigrants increased, people felt that public security was threatened by accepting immigrants.
And now we are seeing a renewed trend toward stricter immigration policies.
In other words, many European countries seem to repeat a cycle of welcoming immigrants when they need labor or support, and rejecting them when social or economic conditions worsen. Personally, I sometimes feel that this attitude can appear somewhat unfair or even arrogant.
One serious consequence, in my view, is that granting legal status to those undocumented migrants could allow them to move freely to other EU countries. Legal residents in EU countries can pass the immigration without any check. Which means, they may find it easier to travel or relocate to other European countries.
Because of that, this issue is not only Spain’s domestic problem. The policy could also have an impact on other EU countries, and some people might feel concerned or even dissatisfied with Spain’s decision.
One reason why more people are becoming frustrated about immigration is the perception that some migrants try to bring their own cultural values into the host country and, in some cases, actively promote them.
When this happens, local residents may feel that their own traditions and social norms are being challenged. This can create tension and make social integration more difficult.
Like many policy issues, there are both advantages and disadvantages, so it is not easy to say which side is completely right.
In Japan, more and more people feel frustrated about immigration these days. But that doesn’t mean Japanese people are completely against accepting foreigners. Many are happy to welcome newcomers as long as they respect local culture and traditions, follow the rules, and try to contribute to society.
The difficult part is that it’s not always easy to know who are good immigrants and who are not.
