PP proposes foreigners sign 'letter of commitment' to live in Spain

Spanish opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has called for the creation of a "letter of commitment" to be signed by immigrants who want to live and work in Spain.

It comes as the centre-right People's Party (PP) pushes immigration proposals based on the idea of “integration with conditions”, which includes learning the language, knowing the Spanish Constitution and respecting local values, and attempts to differentiate itself from its political rivals on both the left and right.

According to party leader, "whoever comes from other places must commit to comply with the law, to respect Spanish customs" and the "Spanish and European values of freedom, tolerance and pluralism."

"Those who do not comply cannot stay in our country," Feijóo made clear.

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The PP is reportedly finalising a migration plan that the party will present in the coming weeks.

Among the other recent proposals are a points-based immigration system, the expulsion of immigrants who lie about their age, and now a formal commitment letter to be signed by foreigners who want to come to Spain to live and work.

Several of them, including the deportation of migrants who claim to be minors but are found to be older, would require reform of Spain's immigration legislation. The Spanish right, including the PP but also far-right Vox, have linked the idea of migrants lying about their age to crime and insecurity.

The aim, PP party sources tell Europe Press, is to demonstrate a willingness to respect "essential values" of Spanish society.

However, these proposals have so far been light on detail. Many in the Spanish press view them as political messaging more than anything else.

Much of the impetus coming from the PP in recent months and years has been in response to being outflanked by the far-right party Vox, who has been soaring in the polls at the expense of the PP.

Politically speaking, the centre-right party seems to be trying to position itself as a immigration middle ground between what is perceived as a softness on the Spanish left and the unnecessary demonisation of migrants by the far-right. Critics of Feijóo on the Spanish left claim the PP has adopted increasingly hardline rhetoric on immigration in order stem the flow of voters leaking to Vox.

After trailing several proposals since the return to Congress in September, PP sources close to the party leadership told the Spanish press that the party is designing a "liberal and European" immigration proposal that revolves around "order and legality" and is inspired by neighbouring countries. Some reports in the Spanish press suggest that the party has taken inspiration from Germany and recent moves in the UK to restrict automatic rights to permanent residency.

"We think that this is an issue that transcends ideological blocs, it is not a right-wing issue. It is an intersecting issue and we have to face it," sources told Europa Press, adding that "the left wants to put this debate in a drawer, because it makes them uncomfortable" while Vox “exaggerates” it by supporting the "criminalisation of immigrants."

A similar commitment letter was first floated as an idea by former PP Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy back in 2008, which called for an express commitment to learning Spanish and actively tied residency to employment.

Feijóo has argued that economic benefits such as the Minimum Vital Income (IMV) should be linked to active job searches or employment.

READ ALSO: Spain's PP calls for points-based visa system for foreigners