How Pedro Sánchez's immigration-friendly stance sets Spain apart in Europe

MADRID (AP) — As many European leaders adopt stricter stances on immigration, fueled by a surge in far-right populism and warnings from the U.S. about potential “civilizational erasure,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is taking a different path.

Spain has welcomed millions of people from Latin America and Africa in recent years. Sánchez, a leftist, frequently emphasizes the financial and societal advantages that legal immigrants bring to Spain, the eurozone's fourth-largest economy.

Sánchez often states that Spain's choice is between “being an open and prosperous country or a closed and poor one.”

His position contrasts sharply with that of other Western leaders, and so far, his approach appears to be successful. For the second consecutive year, Spain's economy has grown faster than any other EU nation, partly due to the contributions of immigrants who are bolstering its aging workforce.

“Today, Spain’s progress and strong economic situation owe much to the contribution of the migrants who have come to Spain to develop their life projects,” Sánchez said in July, following anti-immigrant clashes in a small southern Spanish town.

Anna Terrón Cusi, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute and former immigration policy advisor to Spanish governments, notes that Sánchez’s pro-immigration stance and his comments on immigrants' contributions align with the policies of previous progressive Spanish governments.

Europe's Shifting Mood Sánchez's approach to immigration, including highlighting the contributions of immigrants to Spanish society, is consistent with those of previous progressive governments in the country, according to Anna Terrón Cusi, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute. She previously advised multiple Spanish governments on immigration policy.