SPAIN’S controversial plan to grant residency to nearly a million undocumented migrants has been saved from turmoil after a planned walkout by immigration officers was called off at the last minute.
Officers linked to the Workers’ Commissions (CCOO) syndicate had planned to launch an indefinite strike from April 20, coinciding with the first day migrants are able to file applications in-person.
Trade union leaders said the immigration system was already at breaking point, pointing to more than 180,000 cases separate to the current amnesty scheme that still lie unresolved.
Complaints were also raised about staff shortages, poor pay and a lack of formal training.
But the strike will no longer go ahead after representatives from the CCOO struck a deal with the government on Thursday.
Union leader Cesar Perez said immigration officers would benefit from a pay rise of between 10 and 18 per cent.
He said he had also received a pledge to fill 700 vacant positions as soon as possible.
The deal is positive news for the legalisation scheme, which opened for online applications on Thursday.
Under the scheme, nearly a million undocumented migrants will be able to regularise their status.
While early estimates had suggested around half a million could benefit from the plan, new figures from think tank Funcas put the number of people living irregularly in Spain at closer to 840,000.
The scheme has sparked fierce debate at home and abroad, with prime minister Pedro Sanchez insisting the move will supercharge Spain’s economy.
Once legal, migrants will be able to hold a work permit, allowing them to work across the economy and not just in the black market.
Business leaders have welcomed the plan, arguing it will help to plug major labour shortages.
Sanchez has also hailed the measure as ‘an act of justice and a necessity’, adding that those who already live and work in Spain should ‘do so under equal conditions’ and contribute to general taxation.
But concerns are also rife over integration, while EU migration chief Magnus Brunner warned last week that migrants granted residency in Spain could be sent back if they move elsewhere in the bloc.
Spain has granted amnesty to illegal immigrants on six previous occasions between 1986 and 2005.
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