The cost of immigration: 250 euros a day that nobody spends on themselves

The hidden cost of immigration: 250 euros a day that nobody spends on themselves

The question many people ask is whether the State is funding an invasion, as some circles claim, or whether the numbers hold up to serious analysis. According to figures circulating around, each migrant would supposedly cost the public purse 250 euros a day. A figure that, compared with the daily spending of any average citizen, is hard to swallow. Who spends 250 euros a day on themselves? Not even someone living on Madrid's Gran Vía. The controversy is nothing new, but it has found a growing echo in opinion polls.

---

How social perception has evolved, according to the CIS

Surveys by Spain's CIS (Centre for Sociological Research) over the past ten years show that, until 2023, fewer than 10% of Spaniards considered immigration one of the country's main problems. In 2024 the figure jumped to 30%, before falling back to 20%. At the same time, housing became established as the biggest problem, often without any link being made between the two realities. The paradox is served: citizens perceive an unsustainable cost, yet public spending data are not always broken down transparently.

The debate over public spending and NGO funding

Some point out that the 250 euros a day is not the direct cost of maintaining each individual, but rather the aggregate of subsidies to partner organisations such as NGOs. The suspicion that a "machine" profits from the system fuels scepticism. However, no official source has denied or confirmed the specific figure, leaving the debate on slippery ground.

---

While some demand mass deportations by boat, others stay silent and put up with it. The only sure thing is that, with 250 quid a day, even the biggest rentier would have to think twice before complaining.