The Spanish government has introduced the law that opens the way for undocumented immigrants to obtain lawful residence in the country.

The law will apply to immigrants who live and reside in the country without permission. The socialist government estimates that around half a million people will be able to apply, but other analysts believe the figure may be far higher, perhaps as many as 1.5 million undocumented migrants.

People who arrived in Spain before 1 January and can prove that they have lived in the country for at least five months may apply. They must also produce a clean criminal record. After one year, they will be able to apply for other work and residence permits.

The measure has been introduced as an emergency decree concerning the immigration laws. This allows the government to bypass the national assembly, where it does not have a majority. A similar proposal has previously foundered. (NTB-AP)

Spain has granted lawful residence to illegal immigrants several times previously, which is readily visible if one spends time on a Spanish beach. This occurred six times between 1986 and 2005, including under conservative governments.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez describes the measure as both fair and necessary. People who already live and reside in the country should “do so under equal conditions” and pay taxes, he emphasises.

Sánchez claims that these immigrants may have to fill up the workforce, which he regards as a problem for Spain as a consequence of the ageing wave (eldrebølgen).

With an enormous quantity of immigrants, Spain’s Prime Minister believes that the government can secure the pension system and the welfare state.

We have heard this from other European governments for several decades, without any of them being able to point to success, quite the opposite.

Unfortunately, immigrants are not exactly known for their long-term contribution to the workforce. This applies particularly to the non-Western immigrants who are likely to constitute the great majority of the undocumented.

Norwegian politicians, too, have for many years spoken of how profitable immigration is, and used the ageing wave as an argument that we need mass immigration.

Moreover, the problem has been created by the authorities themselves, in that there is no real connection between what one pays in tax that is supposed to go towards pensions and what one then receives in payment.

In any case, however, it is difficult to see what Norwegian pensioners gain from the Norwegian authorities squandering around 400–500 billion kroner a year on immigration.