Aznar reignites immigration debate over who fills rejected jobs

Who will do the work Spaniards reject? Aznar revives the debate with data: 13,500 Spaniards head to French harvests while IMV costs €500 million.

English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published

Who will do the work Spaniards reject? The debate reignites

Former Prime Minister José María Aznar has reignited the discussion on immigration and the labor market with a tweet claiming that "Spaniards have never worked as waiters or in agriculture." The statement, circulated during an election campaign, aims to justify the need for foreign labor. However, the data tell a different story: 13,500 Spaniards have registered to work in the French grape harvest this year, according to 20minutos. The paradox is only apparent: what is at stake is not willingness to work, but wage and working conditions.

The myth of Spanish laziness

Proponents of mass immigration argue that there are jobs nationals reject due to their harshness or low pay. This argument has been repeated since the first major regularization of immigrants promoted by Aznar's government and continued by Rajoy. But evidence suggests that when conditions improve, Spaniards do take those positions. The 13,500 harvest workers crossing the border this summer will earn between €1,200 and €1,800 net per month, far above wages in Spanish agriculture, where daily rates are €40-50. It is not that they do not want to work; it is that they do not want to work for poverty wages.

The trap of low wages

One line of analysis argues that mass immigration does not fill vacancies but is used to keep wages down in sectors such as hospitality, agriculture, and domestic service. "The euro was a Trojan horse to transfer income from the middle class to the State and employers," some economists critical of the model argue. The massive influx of workers willing to accept precarious conditions has allowed agricultural and hospitality employers to avoid raising salaries. The uncomfortable question: why maintain jobs that cannot pay a dignified wage? If the French harvest can attract thousands of Spaniards, the problem is not labor supply, but remuneration.

The cost of minimum income

Another datum crossing the debate is the growth of the Ingreso Mínimo Vital (IMV), Spain's minimum vital income scheme. According to La Razón, nearly 2.6 million people already live on this benefit, with a monthly bill of €500 million. For some, this demonstrates that subsidies discourage employment in precarious jobs. However, defenders of regulated immigration point out that without foreign workers many sectors simply could not operate. The dilemma is real: maintaining a strong social protection system while needing cheap labor to sustain the competitiveness of certain industries.

The debate leaves an unresolved question: if irregular immigrants were expelled or entry drastically reduced, would wages rise enough to attract Spaniards? The experience of the French harvest suggests yes, but one would have to assume a price increase in the affected sectors. So far, no party has made that calculation publicly.


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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (162 replies).

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