The PNV claims the 'northern border' of the Bidasoa

"How many immigrants arrive in the Basque Country by boat from France?" This question from the President of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno, was so unpopular in Ajuria Enea that the Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, called him to explain the reality of the phenomenon of unaccompanied minors in the Basque Country and to point out that, in reality, most arrive by bus from Andalusia. The highly inflammatory issue of immigration is gaining increasing weight in Basque politics. And the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), with the Lehendakari as its main institutional reference, wants to address it with a very measured discourse.

The PNV (National Liberation Front) seek to occupy a space they consider "central," positioning themselves between those who deny the complexity of the issue and those who take a stand against the migration phenomenon or migrants. Aitor Esteban laid the groundwork for the PNV's discourse on this matter in July, at the event marking the party's 130th anniversary. The president of the PNV's executive committee emphasized that his party rejects "out of democratic dignity" and "as a humanitarian principle" the "policy of criminalizing migrants." He then added that "integration into our way of life, our values, our language, is fundamental," and that it must be achieved "through the work and the will of those who arrive to know that they are in a different society, one that welcomes them, but does not want ghettos."

Pradales draws attention to the effects on the Bidasoa of the French government's border closures.

The Lehendakari, meanwhile, has been emphasizing that his government is committed to "orderly, safe, and regular" immigration. The PNV (Basque Nationalist Party) seeks to avoid ideological inconsistencies and wants to establish a strong profile with respect to EH Bildu, which is also working to build its own narrative around a particularly thorny issue for the left.

At the same time, the Pradales administration is moving in the area of ​​management. Juanma Moreno's statements questioned the possible recognition of the Basque Country as the northern border for migration issues, a demand the Lehendakari has been insisting on and which, despite what the Andalusian leader stated, has not been met.

The Basque Country, however, was excluded from the latest distribution of unaccompanied minors, as it was clearly above the ratio set by the Spanish government: 32.6 minors per 100,000 inhabitants in each of the regions. The demand for a distribution of minors based on objective criteria was, in fact, a proposal developed by the Pradales administration, alongside the President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo.

There are other priority areas for the Basque Executive. Within this demand for recognition as a northern border, the focus is on the problem of migrants in transit to other European countries. The Bidasoa border crossing, between Irun and Hendaye, is practically imperceptible to thousands of people every day; however, it becomes a barrier for migrants of African origin.

Despite being part of the Schengen Area, the French government regularly closes the border and establishes checkpoints that target African migrants. In recent years, nine people have died in the area, most of them drowning in the Bidasoa River, and in Irun alone, the resources provided by the Basque Government have treated 40,000 migrants in six years. The Basque government is demanding more resources under this umbrella for the northern border.

Another area where management is working to address the issue is work permits. In June, the Spanish government transferred the management of initial work permits for foreigners to the Basque Country. This is intended to ease the bottleneck, as thousands of people cannot legally work due to lack of permits. Meanwhile, in March, the Supreme Court annulled the transfer of authority to recognize foreign university degrees, which was intended to alleviate the shortage of healthcare professionals.

The Basque Nationalist Party's stance on immigration has caused some friction with its partners in the Socialist Workers' Party (PSE). The latest has occurred recently, over the refugee center the central government plans to open in Vitoria. The Basque Socialists have called on Madrid to reduce its capacity from 350 to 200, while the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) emphasizes that it should not be opened because "it clashes with the Basque reception model, which prioritizes smaller centers."

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In the latest Basque Sociometer, immigration appears as the fifth issue on the list of citizen concerns, behind housing, employment issues, public healthcare, and crime. Concern is still moderate, although growing. The debate is ongoing in the streets. And the PNV doesn't want to lose it by default.

“Neither do-goodism nor populism” Pradales and Clavijo join forces

The migration issue has been a central topic during the recent visit of the Lehendakari, Imanol Pradales, to the Canary Islands, where he was received by the President of the islands, Fernando Clavijo. As part of the agenda for this visit, Pradales visited the Open Arms and challenged the "populists and cowards" who talk about sinking the ship—as Santiago Abascal, leader of Vox, put it—to approach "the humanitarian drama" instead of speaking "from the comfort of an office or a bar." The Basque leader also made his position on this issue clear, emphasizing that migration is "a complex phenomenon" that must be addressed "by putting people at the center of political action" and avoiding both "populist and do-gooder" rhetoric. "This cannot be resolved with a tweet, or with do-gooderism, or with populism," he stated. Pradales and Clavijo, who joined forces to demand an equitable distribution of unaccompanied minors, are now calling for a structural immigration plan and are working on a protocol for action between Canary Islands and Basque NGOs. The Basque Government has also expressed interest in training programs at the country of origin in Senegal and Mauritania for "orderly migration."