Sánchez tells Europe: "You get more migrants than I do"
Sánchez's remark to Europe on immigration exposes figures that don't add up: 234760, Barajas airport and a regularization that multiplies the pull factor.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The moment Sánchez pulls out his migrant calculator on Europe
The quote is spreading like wildfire: "You get more migrants than I do." Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has chosen to respond to Brussels' criticism of his migration policy with a blunt comparison. This is no ordinary gaffe; it is a public admission that reading Europe's migration flows is a minefield. His defenders argue that Spain bears a disproportionate burden when the real data are on the table. His critics say he only counts what suits him.
The missing figures
The affair has brought to light a number that never appears in official appearances: 234760. The figure, circulating as an argument, stands in contrast to the images from Ceuta and the arrivals recorded every day. The problem, several analyses point out, is that this statistic does not include what enters through Barajas. Madrid's airport, with its "tourists," would render what is seen at the southern border irrelevant. And the regularization approved by the government, added to family reunification and the so-called "grandchildren law," would push the total count into the millions.
The reaction in Europe
In Brussels, the response is not long in coming. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen once again appears as Sánchez's natural shield. But that is not the only reading. Some recall that the other EU partners only see the images of an "invasion" and their governments protecting themselves from a Spain they consider a failed state. Meanwhile, social media sarcasm suggests Spain would double its population in ten years through the very entry routes he describes. An exaggeration, but with a kernel of truth: real control of the flows is a black hole.
If this episode has proven anything, it is that Sánchez's calculator does not add up in public. And if the trend continues, the next official figures will be met with more skepticism than credibility. We shall see whether the Prime Minister dares to open it all the way. We doubt it.
The quote is spreading like wildfire: "You get more migrants than I do." Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, has chosen to respond to Brussels' criticism of his migration policy with a blunt comparison. This is no ordinary gaffe; it is a public admission that reading Europe's migration flows is a minefield. His defenders argue that Spain bears a disproportionate burden when the real data are on the table. His critics say he only counts what suits him.
The missing figures
The affair has brought to light a number that never appears in official appearances: 234760. The figure, circulating as an argument, stands in contrast to the images from Ceuta and the arrivals recorded every day. The problem, several analyses point out, is that this statistic does not include what enters through Barajas. Madrid's airport, with its "tourists," would render what is seen at the southern border irrelevant. And the regularization approved by the government, added to family reunification and the so-called "grandchildren law," would push the total count into the millions.
The reaction in Europe
In Brussels, the response is not long in coming. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen once again appears as Sánchez's natural shield. But that is not the only reading. Some recall that the other EU partners only see the images of an "invasion" and their governments protecting themselves from a Spain they consider a failed state. Meanwhile, social media sarcasm suggests Spain would double its population in ten years through the very entry routes he describes. An exaggeration, but with a kernel of truth: real control of the flows is a black hole.
If this episode has proven anything, it is that Sánchez's calculator does not add up in public. And if the trend continues, the next official figures will be met with more skepticism than credibility. We shall see whether the Prime Minister dares to open it all the way. We doubt it.
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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 (11 replies).
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