Illustration by Ard Su
Spain Bets on 1 Million Migrants to Keep Its Economy Growing
The country is bucking European trends with its most ambitious migration push to date, including a proposal for a “mass regularization” of undocumented foreign workers.
Abdou Gueye was so determined to get to Spain that he made the dangerous boat journey from his native Senegal to the Canary archipelago twice. The first time, 25 years ago, authorities sent him back. The second time they more or less turned a blind eye. So he stayed, in legal limbo, and for the past five years has been eking out a living as a cleaner, a cook and a farmhand.
The 60-year-old wasn’t able to get a residency permit all that time, but saw an opportunity when last week a rumor spread among the migrant community on the island of Tenerife: The government wanted to roll out a “mass regularization” of undocumented laborers, including from Africa. The rumor turned out to be true. Gueye is now rushing to collect documents that prove he’s been living in Spain, and has never committed a crime. While details are still being negotiated among political parties, he hopes he’ll qualify and access full civil and social benefits once he retires.