Rabat – In a bid to address labor shortage, Spain’s Council of Ministers agreed last week to reform immigration laws to ease the recruitment processes for foreign workers.
Proposed by Jose Luis Escriva, Spain’s Minister of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, the reform has gained the support of most ministers despite resistance from the Ministry of Interior which has expressed concerns over the potential surge in irregular migration.
The reform seeks to address the lack of labor force in key sectors such as transport, construction, and hospitality, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on July 26, noting that it will benefit temporary workers, foreign students, and irregular migrants living in Spain.
In particular, the reform lays the ground for a new recruitment procedure that offers a four-year work permit to temporary foreign workers, allowing them to work in Spain for nine months each year.
Even if the workers return home at the end of the season, they can benefit from a two-year renewable work permit that would allow them to work in Spain as employees or self-employed professionals.
El Pais further noted that the existing work catalog Spanish firms currently follow when recruiting foreign temporary workers will be modified every three months to address labor shortages in key sectors.
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Alongside temporary workers, the 50,000 non-EU students enrolled annually in Spanish institutions can now work for up to 30 hours per week as the reform makes it easier for them to work in the country after completing their studies.
Under the new reform, non-EU students in Spain can work to meet their studies and living expenses, and irregular migrants who have lived in the Iberian country for over two years are also eligible to obtain their papers and integrate into the formal labor market.
El Pais’s report added that eligible irregular migrants are expected to receive training in most in-demand skills for the labor market to secure work contracts.
Spain’s pressing need for young labor stems from the country’s low birth rates and increasing life spans. Statistics show that 30% of Spain’s population will be aged over 65 by 2050, indicating that Spain is in need of skilled and trained young labor coming from traditional labor markets in North Africa and Latin America.
