Podemos opposes Catalonia immigration transfer, demands regularization of one million migrants

Wednesday 05 March 2025 - 14:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Podemos opposes Catalonia immigration transfer, demands regularization of one million migrants

Podemos has issued a firm refusal to support the proposed Organic Law for the Delegation of Immigration Competences, which would allow Catalonia to manage immigration within its territory. Speaking on RNE’s Las mañanas de RNE, Pablo Fernández, spokesperson for the left-wing party, declared that their five deputies would vote "resolutely against" the measure unless the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) agrees to a key demand.

Fernández emphasized that Podemos requires the extraordinary regularization of nearly one million irregular migrants as a precondition for entering negotiations on the law. "The moment that is approved, we could consider a different stance. But as it stands now, we will vote radically against it," he asserted.

The proposed transfer of immigration authority, negotiated between the PSOE-led government and Catalonia’s Junts party, has sparked controversy. Critics argue that the concessions made to Junts leader Carles Puigdemont jeopardize national unity and pose risks to over 1,700 national police officers stationed in Catalonia.

The debate over immigration competences has also reignited past statements by Spain’s Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, who previously defended immigration as an "exclusive competence" of the state, stating it could not be "delegated or transferred."

In parallel, tensions surrounding Podemos have escalated, with reports of an attack on Pablo Fernández’s residence in Valladolid. The incident occurred as heated political discussions continue, further underscoring the volatile nature of Spain’s political landscape.