Spanish PM wants to bring forward EU migration pact

MADRID

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday called for new EU rules on handling irregular arrivals of asylum seekers and migrants to come into force in 2025, a year ahead of schedule.

His appeal comes as Spain is grappling with a surge in migrant arrivals in the Canary Islands and as Hungary and the Netherlands are seeking an opt-out from the bloc's rules on asylum.

The European Union rules, adopted in May and due to come into effect in 2026, aim to share hosting responsibilities across the 27-country bloc and to speed up deportations of those deemed ineligible to stay.

"We are going to demand a policy of co-responsibility and solidarity from Brussels, by demanding that the whole of Europe become effectively involved in managing the migratory flows that the countries of the Mediterranean are receiving," Sanchez told parliament.

"To this end, we are going to ask the European Commission to bring forward the entry into force of the pact on migration and asylum" so that its provisions "on border control and the distribution of migrants start to be implemented in the summer of 2025 and not in the summer of 2026," he added.

Spain is one of the EU's main gateways for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.

During the first nine months of the year 30,808 migrants landed in the Canary Islands, more than double the number that arrived in the Atlantic archipelago located off the northwest coast of Africa during the same period the previous year, according to interior ministry figures.

Almost 40,000 migrants entered the archipelago in 2023, a record on course to be broken this year.

The regional government of the Canaries says it is overwhelmed, with around 5,500 migrant minors under its care — far above its capacity for 2,000.

The rise in arrivals has pushed migration to the top of voter concerns in Spain.

A poll published in daily newspaper El Pais on Tuesday found that 57 percent of Spaniards believe there are too many immigrants in Spain, and 41 percent say they are "concerned" about immigrants — 16 percentage points more than a year and a half ago.

Sanchez acknowledged the issue was "delicate" but called for an open approach to immigration, arguing it is "essential" to guarantee Spain's "present and future prosperity".

"Today, more than half of Spanish businesses are reporting difficulties in finding labour, and the number of unfilled vacancies already exceeds 150,000," he said.

"This is a record level which, if we don't act, will multiply over the next few decades," he added.