logo
Vox Party pushes for return of unaccompanied minors to Morocco

Vox Party pushes for return of unaccompanied minors to Morocco

Ya Biladi19-03-2025
The far-right Vox party voiced its opposition on Tuesday to the agreement between the Junts party and Pedro Sanchez's government on the distribution of unaccompanied minor migrants. Party leader Santiago Abascal posted on social media: «No to Bilbao, no to Barcelona, no to anywhere. But to Morocco».
Vox Secretary General Ignacio Garriga also condemned the agreement, calling the planned redistribution of 4,000 unaccompanied minors «extremely dangerous». He highlighted that Madrid is set to receive over 700 minors from the Canary Islands, while Catalonia will only be required to accommodate 20 to 30, according to an announcement by Carles Puigdemont's party on Tuesday.
In an interview with RNE radio, Garriga criticized Junts for negotiating with the Socialist Party «for their own privileges» rather than seeking solutions to end illegal immigration or working to return the minors to their home countries. He argued that Spain's immigration policies «have proven to be a failure» and lamented that Junts did not use the negotiations to push for a permanent solution. «As always, the losers are all Spaniards, and in this case, the Catalans», he added.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet is preparing to issue a legal decree establishing «fair and balanced criteria» aimed at addressing the humanitarian situation, improving the integration of minors, and providing them with better opportunities.
Junts defended the agreement, stating that the distribution of minors will be based on regional population sizes and acknowledging Catalonia's past efforts in accommodating migrants. The party emphasized that the region «has consistently exceeded its capacity limits».
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Spain's Interior Minister Blames Vox for Fueling Hate Against Migrants, Including Moroccans
Spain's Interior Minister Blames Vox for Fueling Hate Against Migrants, Including Moroccans

Morocco World

time12 hours ago

  • Morocco World

Spain's Interior Minister Blames Vox for Fueling Hate Against Migrants, Including Moroccans

Rabat – Spain's Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has officially pointed fingers at far-right party Vox, accusing it of inciting the recent wave of violence in southern Spain, particularly Torre Pacheco in southeastern Spain. Migrant communities, particularly Moroccans, were targeted following an assault incident against a Spanish retiree last week. Police in Spain have arrested eight suspects since Friday amid a wave of violence targeting North African immigrants, with two confirmed of committed the assault against the individual. Converging reports said the nest was fueled by the hate-filled rhetoric dissipated by the far-right. In an interview today with Cadena Ser radio, Marlaska said the arrests took place, noting that the majority, five of the eight, of those arrested for acts of violence are Spanish nationals. He added that an investigation is ongoing to determine the full scope of responsibility. The confirmation comes in contrast to misleading narratives targeting migrants, particularly Moroccans. Marlaska accused Vox of exacerbating the unrest in Torre Pacheco, noting that 'organized groups' are active to criminalize immigration instead of promoting coexistence and prosperity. He stressed that the events are not rooted in migrant related crime, but are instead the result of hate-fueled rhetoric by Vox and its affiliates. Pedro Angel Roca, the mayor of Torre Pacheco, also defended migrants, noting that there are families that have been living in the town for over 20 years, working in different sectors, including agriculture. Several new outlets circulated reports saying that tensions remain high in the region, documenting the attacks against North African immigrants, both on and offline. El País reported that far-right groups exploited the event, using social media to organize a 'hunt' against migrants from North Africa in the San Antonio neighborhood, which serves as home to a large Moroccan community. According to recent data from the Spanish Ministry of Inclusion, the number of foreign workers affiliated with Spain's social security system reached a historic high in June, totaling 3,096,014 individuals. Moroccans remain the largest foreign community affiliated with Spanish social security, with 375,042 workers, ahead of Romanians, Colombians, and Italians.

Spain : The Association of Moroccan Workers criticizes Vox's anti-migrant rhetoric
Spain : The Association of Moroccan Workers criticizes Vox's anti-migrant rhetoric

Ya Biladi

time3 days ago

  • Ya Biladi

Spain : The Association of Moroccan Workers criticizes Vox's anti-migrant rhetoric

The Association of Moroccan Workers and Immigrants in Spain (ATIM) has denounced what it calls «hypocritical demagoguery» in response to recent comments by the far-right party Vox regarding the mass expulsion of migrants. In a statement sent to Yabiladi on Friday, the NGO strongly rejected remarks made by Vox spokesperson Rocío de Meer. For several days, the political figure has faced backlash over her xenophobic and ambiguous comments. Speaking at a press conference at Vox's headquarters, she appeared to endorse a version of the «Great Replacement» theory in Spain. De Meer spoke of expelling eight million immigrants and their children in order to «survive as a people». Since then, Vox has scrambled to contain the fallout, even going as far as blaming the Spanish press for misrepresenting her words. Against this backdrop, ATIM emphasized the public and solemn nature of its response, accusing the party of «seeking media attention, stoking controversy, and provoking outrage—even violence». The NGO added that Vox «fails to consider the consequences» of its rhetoric, «blinded by its obsession with publicity and its strategy of cultivating rejection through stigmatization». «They are exploiting the frustration generated by a failing neoliberal system, manufacturing an enemy—even a fictitious one—and scapegoating migrants to deflect responsibility for this failure», ATIM continued. In equally forceful terms, the NGO pointed to the «ignorance» displayed by Vox members. «If they had any sense of history, they would recognize the disastrous consequences of the expulsion of the Moriscos between 1609 and 1613. The economic damage today would be just as severe», ATIM warned. «Our association rises today to oppose your empty, incoherent, and deceptive discourse, lacking substance and utterly incapable of proposing any real economic or social alternatives for the future», the statement continued. «Your outbursts, your racist slogans, your xenophobia, your sexism, your intolerance—they serve no purpose. Your fascist ambitions to eliminate everyone who is different from you or who disagrees with you are equally futile», it added.

Spain's top admiral dismisses fears of «Moroccan invasion» of Ceuta and Melilla
Spain's top admiral dismisses fears of «Moroccan invasion» of Ceuta and Melilla

Ya Biladi

time5 days ago

  • Ya Biladi

Spain's top admiral dismisses fears of «Moroccan invasion» of Ceuta and Melilla

While 55% of Spaniards view Morocco as a «threat», Admiral Teodoro Lopez Calderon, Chief of the Defense Staff, dismissed the idea of a «Moroccan invasion of Ceuta and Melilla» on Wednesday, July 9. «The current economic and human context guarantees our security for the next 15 years», he stated. Lopez Calderon also underscored the importance of the recent defense budget increase, calling it «considerable», and noted that «the prudent use of these financial resources will enhance the capabilities of the Spanish armed forces over the next 15 years». During Wednesday's plenary session in the House of Representatives, the leader of the far-right Vox party, Santiago Abascal, warned Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of a potential «invasion of Ceuta and Melilla». He called on the government to raise the defense budget to 5% of GDP, a demand also echoed by former U.S. President Donald Trump during the recent NATO summit in the Netherlands. As a reminder, back in April, Admiral Lopez Calderon created a task force composed of military personnel to «assess and propose responses to the risks posed by Morocco's activities, both within and beyond Spanish territory».

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store