75% hiring rebate for Ceuta and Melilla: fix or real plan?

The 75% rebate in Ceuta and Melilla does not calm the debate

How much does it cost to manage irregular immigration in Spain's autonomous cities? The Council of Ministers is expected to approve this Tuesday a 75% rebate on hiring workers in Ceuta and Melilla, as part of the support plan for Ceuta. The measure comes at a time when the news agenda is dominated by several alleged incidents involving unaccompanied foreign minors and irregular migrants.

Incidents shaping the agenda

In Manresa, a 45-year-old father was allegedly murdered by a group of minors of Maghrebi origin. In Valencia, an irregular migrant of Segarro origin was arrested for a rape at La Malvarrosa beach and released on provisional bail. In Ceuta, a minor has been detained for three alleged sensual assaults on girls aged 10 and 11. These cases have no final convictions, but they have reignited social tension.

The government's economic response

In the face of tension, the Government responds with money: making hiring cheaper in Ceuta and Melilla. Some call for repatriations and tougher incivil penalties; others see employment as the only way to ease the pressure. The breakdown of the support plan for Ceuta —funding, beneficiaries, requirements— will show whether it is a solution or a quick fix. For now, public money is being offered to hire workers, but the cost of the management that was supposed to prevent these conflicts does not appear in the economic report. Offering rebates is easy; explaining the accounts of social cohesion, far less so.