Spain’s conservative Popular Party (PP) has pledged that pregnant immigrants living in the country illegally will be able to avoid being deported by agreeing to give their baby up for adoption if the party wins April's election. The PP, Spain's main opposition group, has drawn up the maternity plan to boost childbirth in ageing Spain, which includes the proposal to give undocumented migrant women a stay on repatriation if they agree to adoption. The suggestion has sparked fury among rival parties and NGOs. “It’s a racist and fascist barbarity,” said José Ignacio García, spokesman for Podemos in Andalusia, the region where the PP has governed since January in coalition with the liberal Ciudadanos party, supported by the far-Right and anti-immigration Vox. Rafael Simancas, a parliamentary spokeswoman for the governing Socialist party, said the idea was “the cruellest thing we have ever heard”. “Saying to an immigrant: ‘Either you … [Read more...] about Spanish party says pregnant migrants can delay repatriation if they have their babies adopted
Migrants
Kremlin Seeks Russian-Speaking Migrants to Offset Population Decline
The Kremlin plans to attract up to 10 million Russian-speaking migrants in the next six years to reverse the country’s population decline, the business daily Kommersant reported on Thursday. Russia’s population declined to 146.8 million in 2018, official data released on Thursday estimates, its first decrease in 10 years. Migration has been unable to offset natural population losses for the first time since 2008. President Vladimir Putin has prioritized migration policy by signing a plan of action for 2019-2025 and adding migration to the remit of his constitutional rights office. The plan involves granting citizenship to anywhere from 5 to 10 million migrants, Kommersant reported, citing unnamed sources involved in carrying out Putin’s migration policy plan. The Kremlin lists Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Moldova and other post-Soviet states with Russian-speaking populations as so-called “donor countries” where new Russian … [Read more...] about Kremlin Seeks Russian-Speaking Migrants to Offset Population Decline
Six migrants who absconded from Initial Reception Centre now back
As of yesterday evening, a total of six of the migrants who had absconded from the Initial Reception Centre in Marsa Monday evening were back at the centre, the Home Affairs Ministry told The Malta Independent. On Tuesday, a government statement was issued stating that 13 migrants had absconded from the centre the night prior. “As per policy they were being assessed for checks and medical clearance. Another two migrants ran away from the Office of the Refugee Commissioner when they were taken to apply for protection,” the statement had read. The police had been informed and a police report was filed on site. This newsroom sent a number of questions to the Home Affairs Ministry, asking for details on whether the migrants were supervised at the time, how many were found, what security measures were in place and how they got around such measures, among other things. The Home Affairs Ministry, in response, explained that the Initial Reception Centre (IRC) is not a detention … [Read more...] about Six migrants who absconded from Initial Reception Centre now back
Refugees welcome? Police probe racist attacks on migrant youth centers in Catalonia
A group of 25 people with their faces masked "ransacked" the centre in the coastal town of Castelldefels south of Barcelona in the early hours of Sunday and "tried to attack teachers and minors", the regional government of Catalonia said in a statement. Three people were injured -- two teachers and a minor who suffered an anxiety attack, the statement added. Catalan regional police have questioned the injured and witnesses but have not arrested anyone so far, a spokesman for the police force told AFP. Castelldefels city hall downplayed the incident, calling it a fight between migrants from the centre and locals youths, but the Catalan regional government suspect the attack was racially motivated. "We are talking about a very serious incident which has a racist connotation... this is not a simple fight between youths," said the regional social affairs minister who is responsible for immigration, Chakir El Homrani. … [Read more...] about Refugees welcome? Police probe racist attacks on migrant youth centers in Catalonia
PP proposes delaying deportation of pregnant migrants who opt for adoption
The conservative Popular Party (PP) has come up with a policy that would see pregnant undocumented migrants in Spain spared expulsion from the country during their term if they opt to give up their child for adoption. In a controversial proposal for a so-called “support for maternity law,” the opposition party – led by Pablo Casado – has linked together issues of abortion, immigration and economic resources. The PP says that the law would not act as a “shield” for any female immigrants in an irregular situation, and that they would be expelled from the country after giving birth. We need to think about how to have more babies and not about how to have terminations PP leader Pablo Casado In the run up to the April 28 general elections in Spain, PP chief Pablo Casado has stated on a number of occasions that he would like to see the country return to the restrictive legislation on abortion that was passed in 1985, rather than the current laws. … [Read more...] about PP proposes delaying deportation of pregnant migrants who opt for adoption