Spain’s two main right-wing parties PP and Vox have publicly endorsed the idea of national stats bodies differentiating between foreigners and Spaniards when it comes to data collection in a bid to ascertain their contributions to the country.
Spain’s main opposition party – the centre-right People’s Party (PP) – continues to push its new ‘tough on migration’ stance, this time supporting the idea of separate data collection for foreign residents and Spanish nationals, something which doesn’t currently exist in some public administrations.
The party headed by Alberto Núñez Feijóo is endorsing the proposal put forward by their PP leader in Valencia, Carlos Mazón, who is in alliance with Vox in the regional government.
In fact, it was the far-right party that originally suggested that data on foreigners should be collected separately.
Valencia’s right-wing coalition government want to measure each group’s contribution to the state, the benefits they receive, how much time they miss from work, and how they use emergency medical services.
They argue that many public institutions separate data on people by gender, so it should be also based on nationality.
It is not uncommon to see claims on social media and articles in the Spanish right-wing press suggesting that migrants take more than they put into ‘the system’, fake news which is regularly debunked by fact-checking sites such as Maldita.es.
For example, a study by the University of Cartagena found that immigrants contribute 70 percent more to the State than they receive, and 30 percent more than those born in Spain.
Similarly, research by Spain’s Ministry of Inclusion found that migrants use Spain’s public health system less than nationals.
READ MORE: Spain’s PP calls for points-based visa system for foreigners
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Juan Francisco Pérez Llorca, PP deputy in the Valencian Parliament, maintained that “gathering information is neither bad nor racist,” saying the information could be used in a positive way.
“It can even help us improve the integration of immigrants,” he argued.
Spain’s Socialist government has since criticised PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo and accused him of working with Vox leader Santiago Abascal to come up with “racist” measures.
“These lists are drawn up with a clear and specific objective, which is to single out, stigmatise, and criminalise migrants. I would call them hate lists,” stressed PSOE government spokesperson Pilar Alegría.
READ ALSO: How good would my Spanish have to be to get citizenship if the PP reached power?
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The PP have been very vocal in recent weeks about their tough plans for immigration if they win the general election in 2027, in what political analysts see as a reaction to recent polls showing a considerable loss of voter support to Vox.
The party led by Santiago Abascal has an openly anti-immigration rhetoric and recently called for millions of foreigners to be deported from Spain.
The PP is aiming to position itself somewhere in the middle between Vox and the ruling PSOE, looking to appear as the party ‘bringing order’ to Spain’s migration policies.
Feijóo has advocated for a new points-based visa system for foreigners, which favours those who already speak Spanish, as well as make sure more deportations are carried out on immigrants convicted of serious crimes.
READ MORE: The 10 migration laws that will impact foreigners if Spain’s PP reaches power
In addition, the PP have called for tougher language and cultural exams for Spanish citizenship, the strengthening of borders and they want to make it impossible for overstayers to get residency.
They have even gone as far as saying that they would want foreigners to sign a “letter of commitment” to Spain.
The PP is in coalition with Vox in five Spanish regions currently, and many believe that if Feijóo does not achieve an absolute majority in 2027’s general election, he will be prepared to govern with Abascal if that gets him into La Moncloa.
READ ALSO: Will far-right Vox play a role in Spain’s next government?
