Spain's PP transforms on immigration: from humanitarianism to rejection
From offering humanitarian welcome to attacking 'illegal immigration': the radical U-turn by Feijóo and Spain's PP on the Aquarius and unaccompanied migrant minors. Who is fuelling…
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The PP went from championing the Aquarius rescue to calling the same voyage illegal
How much has Spain's right changed in six years? Just compare two statements by the same leader. In June 2018, Alberto Núñez Feijóo offered Galicia to take in the 630 people rescued by the Aquarius, calling it a "humanitarian matter". Immigration was then the country's twelfth-biggest concern, cited by a meagre 3.5% as one of the three most serious. In 2025, Feijóo — now leading the PP — referred to the same ship as "a boat full of illegal immigration". The shift is no accident: the party has embraced opposition to unaccompanied foreign minors, the "menas", as a badge of identity.
In the background, a social tension that some read as a long-announced explosion. Housing, public services and a perceived sense of insecurity blend with a discourse that points the finger at migrants. Some argue that this spiral is fuelled by the right itself to capitalise on the discontent; others contend that real problems of coexistence and overcrowding do exist, and official silence only makes them worse. What is certain is that the position of the main opposition party has swung 180 degrees. And the debate, far from being settled, has become entrenched.
Dry irony: that humanitarian ship of 2018 is today, for the man who then presided over Galicia, a ship of discord. The next time the Mediterranean returns an Aquarius, we already know what label it will get.
How much has Spain's right changed in six years? Just compare two statements by the same leader. In June 2018, Alberto Núñez Feijóo offered Galicia to take in the 630 people rescued by the Aquarius, calling it a "humanitarian matter". Immigration was then the country's twelfth-biggest concern, cited by a meagre 3.5% as one of the three most serious. In 2025, Feijóo — now leading the PP — referred to the same ship as "a boat full of illegal immigration". The shift is no accident: the party has embraced opposition to unaccompanied foreign minors, the "menas", as a badge of identity.
In the background, a social tension that some read as a long-announced explosion. Housing, public services and a perceived sense of insecurity blend with a discourse that points the finger at migrants. Some argue that this spiral is fuelled by the right itself to capitalise on the discontent; others contend that real problems of coexistence and overcrowding do exist, and official silence only makes them worse. What is certain is that the position of the main opposition party has swung 180 degrees. And the debate, far from being settled, has become entrenched.
Dry irony: that humanitarian ship of 2018 is today, for the man who then presided over Galicia, a ship of discord. The next time the Mediterranean returns an Aquarius, we already know what label it will get.
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (10 replies).
More summaries
-
Spain's PP rules out bringing back the 'sun tax'
Alberto Nadal, the PP's deputy secretary for the Economy, stated in 2026 that the party is dropping the so-called sun tax and instead proposes scrapping the 7% levy on electricity generation.
-
Domestic workers' pensions: Spain's next big debate
Nearly 8 in 10 domestic workers in Spain will not be able to retire. An Oxfam Intermón report exposes the plight of those who never paid social security contributions. Should they receive a pension?
-
From the Amazon to a Spanish residency: foreign doctors spark debate in Galicia
A doctor trained in the Amazon has passed Spain's MIR exam and started his residency in Galicia. Amid a shortage of local training places and skilled immigration, the debate reopens.
-
Red-flag march through Madrid returns to Puerta del Sol
A march with red flags through Madrid returns to Puerta del Sol amid debate over who is behind it
-
Who's ready to board Spain's high-speed train again?
Two serious accidents with casualties in nine months on Spain's high-speed rail network have reignited fears about train travel. Here's what lies behind the unease.
-
No Roma, Black, Maghrebi or Latino donors seen in emergency blood donations, why?
A viral tweet uses a mass blood donation to suggest that certain groups don't give blood. The reality: health requirements explain who can donate.