BUSINESSES in Catalunya have called on the government to let more foreign workers into Spain amid warnings the country would cease “to be competitive” without immigrants.
A report from Catalan business association Foment del Trebell said Spain would need to welcome 140,000 foreign workers a year over the next decade to keep up its current production levels.
It follows a shocking revelation that Spain has taken in nearly 1,5 million immigrants over the past three years – as many as the next four EU countries combined, according to data from Eurostat.
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Foment del Trebell president Josep Sanchez Llibre said: “Without immigration we cannot produce, we are not competitive. Public authorities need to listen to us.”
The report, based on a survey by social research institute Opina360, added an estimated 6.3% of jobs nationwide could remain vacant over the next decade – a figure that could soar to 12% in regions with high levels of depopulation, such as Galicia or Castilla y Leon.
“Businesses absolutely need immigration to be more productive and competitive, and to generate wealth and employment, with the ultimate goal of reducing economic inequalities,” Sanchez Llibre said.
He added Foment del Trebell would share its findings with the central government and local administrations to encourage a broader debate on the issue.
The calls have come at a moment of sharp political polarisation around immigration.
More than 25% of Opina360 survey respondents linked immigration to crime and social problems – while roughly 40% believed the arrival of immigrants could contribute positively to the economy.
The study noted that by 2035, the combined total of foreign-born residents and their Spain-born descendants could exceed 34% of the population.
In other words, one-third of the population would be directly or indirectly connected to immigration, as either first- or second-generation.
Authors also argued that bringing immigrants into the labour market would be crucial for Spain’s pension system – as well as to rejuvenate an aging population whose life expectancy at birth already exceeds 84 years, the third-highest figure in the world.
Sanchez Llibre said: ““Immigration is sometimes associated with crime, vandalism and violence. The public authorities must address these situations.”
Spain’s population broke the 49-million mark for the first time this year – thanks to a strong boost by foreign arrivals as the number of people born in the country continued to dwindle.
READ MORE: Spain hits record population of almost 50 million, mainly driven by immigration
The National Statistics Institute (INE) said Spain’s total population was approaching 50 million as of January 1, 2025, with the foreign-born population falling just shy of the 10-million mark.
The INE added earlier this year that the expat community in Spain was growing 20 times faster than the local population.
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