EPP Vice Chair Warns Spain’s Amnesty for 500,000 Illegal Immigrants Will Have EU-Wide Consequences

Spain’s socialist government’s plans to grant legal status to half a million illegal immigrants puts Europe at risk, said EPP vice chair Tomas Tobe. 

A cayuco boat carrying 57 migrants arrives at the port of La Restinga on the Canary Island of El Hierro, Spain, on Sept. 14, 2024. Antonio Sempere/AFP via Getty Images

A vice chair of the European People’s Party (EPP) has said that Spain’s plan to grant legal status to about 500,000 illegal immigrants puts Europe at risk.

Speaking in the European Parliament, EPP Vice Chair Tomas Tobé said Spain’s plan to legalize illegal immigrants already living and working in the country through an accelerated process was “a direct challenge to the Schengen Area,” in a Feb. 10 post on X.