Spanish far-right party Vox has accused Spain’s government of “discriminating against Spaniards” because of its inability to deport Moroccan and Algerian irregular migrants.
“We demand that this illegal immigration, which has become genuine discrimination against Spaniards, be stopped,” declared Vox President Santiago Abascal.
The Spanish politician made the statement in a populist speech on December 5 during a visit to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
The Spanish archipelago has witnessed a surge in arrivals of irregular migrants this year. According to the Canarian government, approximately 12,700 irregular migrants have arrived in the Canaries on board 449 boats since the start of 2020. A large number of the migrants depart from Morocco’s southwestern coasts.
Abascal demanded that Spain, as well as the European Union, pressure Morocco and Algeria “who refuse to receive their own nationals” and solve “the issue of illegal migrants.”
“We are facing a migration invasion and demand an immediate reaction,” he declared.
Read also: Vox’s Rhetoric on Ceuta, Melilla, and Morocco Will Eventually Backfire
Responding to commentators who denounce the discriminatory positions of Vox, Abascal said that the party’s stance on migration stems from “common sense.”
“We do not incite hatred, we speak from common sense. We only have a phobia from the ‘progressive politicians’ who are destroying coexistence,” he said.
The populist demands of the Vox leader come less than 10 days before a high-level Spanish delegation led by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will travel to Morocco.
The 12th Morocco-Spain High-Level Meeting is set to take place in Rabat starting December 17.
During the meeting, Spain and Morocco’s governments are expected to discuss a wide range of issues, including the situation of Moroccan irregular migrants in the European country.
