Should Spain admit mass entry of citizens from a hostile country?
A million immigrants from a country with territorial claims against Spain ignite the debate between economic necessity and the risk of destabilisation. Integration or…
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The risk of a migratory Trojan horse
What sense does it make to allow the entry of more than a million citizens from a country that claims parts of your territory and wages a hybrid war? The question, uncomfortable as it is, echoes among those sceptical of the official narrative that immigration is always beneficial. From a strictly economic perspective, the labour is needed; but the cost of internal destabilisation could outweigh any demographic dividend.
Some argue the risk is manageable: integration and border control mitigate any threat. However, the precedent of conflicts fuelled by fifth columns — from the war in Ukraine to tensions in the Sahel — counsels against dismissing the scenario. The irony is that, while the defence of Ceuta and Melilla is being negotiated, the entry of a volume of population that, in a crisis, could be used as an instrument of pressure is being facilitated.
In the end, the decision is not only economic: it is geopolitical. And as an old saying goes, «sow the wind and reap the whirlwind». We shall see whether the balance is positive when the hurricane arrives.
What sense does it make to allow the entry of more than a million citizens from a country that claims parts of your territory and wages a hybrid war? The question, uncomfortable as it is, echoes among those sceptical of the official narrative that immigration is always beneficial. From a strictly economic perspective, the labour is needed; but the cost of internal destabilisation could outweigh any demographic dividend.
Some argue the risk is manageable: integration and border control mitigate any threat. However, the precedent of conflicts fuelled by fifth columns — from the war in Ukraine to tensions in the Sahel — counsels against dismissing the scenario. The irony is that, while the defence of Ceuta and Melilla is being negotiated, the entry of a volume of population that, in a crisis, could be used as an instrument of pressure is being facilitated.
In the end, the decision is not only economic: it is geopolitical. And as an old saying goes, «sow the wind and reap the whirlwind». We shall see whether the balance is positive when the hurricane arrives.
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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 (16 replies).
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