Abascal Accuses Congress of Promoting Illegal Immigration

Congress and Vox clash over regularizing hundreds of thousands of migrants

A plenary session, a vote, and an accusation that serves as a full program. Congress backed a popular legislative initiative paving the way to regularize hundreds of thousands of migrants, and Santiago Abascal responded by accusing the Chamber of "promoting illegal immigration." From the Junta of Castile and León, Vice President Juan García-Gallardo went further: he wants to know if the Government contributes "through public subsidies to facilitate illegal human trafficking." Regularization ceased to be a humanitarian issue long ago. Now it is a trench, and each side chooses its ammunition.

From Congress's endorsement to accusations of promoting illegal immigration

The Episcopal Conference asked PSOE and PP to push for general regularization for half a million "excluded" people who, they claim, live in no-man's-land. From the other flank, Minister Rego defended that regularizing 500,000 migrants "is a matter of justice and is perfectly viable." In between, Madrid President Isabel Díaz Ayuso accused the Government of promoting uncontrolled irregular immigration "to manufacture problems." Charity, rights, or electoral calculation: everyone chooses their own motive.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska dismissed claims that irregular immigration destabilizes the country as a "hoax." The uncomfortable detail is that his own Government maintains the contrary in National Security reports, two of them recent documents from the Presidency. One calls a hoax what others sign.

How much public money goes to NGOs managing reception?

The fight over figures has its own economic chapter. A social media post claims one entity working with asylum seekers received more than 108 million in public funds in 2022, from the Ministry of Inclusion and various equality councils. Parallel to this, the Government is credited with rewarding the NGO run by the father of its economic guru with more than 60 million. These are data circulating in circles demanding audits.

And here the political short-circuit jumps: the PP voted in the European Parliament against the Patriots' initiative to audit subsidized NGOs, joining the left. For those expecting a clampdown on spending, the result is a rare tie.

Three National Security reports and von der Leyen's warning

Where official discourse speaks of hoaxes, papers speak of risk. Three National Security reports warn of the possible hostile use of irregular migration against Spain; the new Maritime Security Strategy points to the risk that "state actors" exploit "uncontrolled waves" to destabilize. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen admitted in writing that mass regularization of illegal immigrants "compromises European security."

The terrorism chapter adds tension. Interior monitors 178 alleged Daesh and Al-Qaeda terrorists, 65 of whom have already returned to Spain, according to handled information. A veteran police analyst sums it up with an uncomfortable phrase: the terrorists of the future already live among us. With that material on the table, regularization ceases to be just paperwork.

Wage dumping: the argument hardly anyone puts on the podium

Here lies the economic paradox of the matter. The potentially most uncomfortable argument for the official narrative—that irregular immigration pushes down wages for less skilled workers—barely appears in public debate. Some claim this wage dumping is the best weapon against uncontrolled regularization and leaves the official discourse unanswered; against it weighs the fact that Abascal's own training has used it several times, although major media do not amplify it.

The detail often overlooked, according to this same line of argument: those working without papers do not contribute either, which swells pockets of the shadow economy and discourages regular hiring. If anyone thinks this is just generosity, they would do well to look at their neighbor's payslip.

Germany tightens with deportations and Spain looks away

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said it without nuance: "We have to deport on a large scale." Berlin wants to accelerate the expulsion of foreign incivil and, to make the country less attractive, has abolished cash benefits for asylum seekers and imposed a debit card. The message is clear: no cash, less pull factor.

The contrast is striking. While Germany tightens, Spain processes regularizations and debates whether it is advisable. Both strategies may coexist in the same European Union without breaking it. Or it may be that one of the two is bearing the political cost of the other.

The figure that disconcerts those who still believe this is about abstract solidarity remains. Spain received more immigrants in 2023 than France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Denmark combined, and forecasts point to exceeding 1.1 million gross arrivals again. Canary Islands said it plainly: one cannot be solidary with illegality. With these figures, Abascal's headline ceases to sound like an outburst and starts to look like a description. Whether accurate remains to be discussed.