According to immigration observatory data, as of December 31st 2022 (the latest data available) there were 412,040 Britons who are residents in Spain, that figures has risen slightly but it would even more if new rules, regulations and restrictions such as the 90-day rule and was scrapped and freedom of movement reintroduced, especially for young people looking for seasonal work. So, with Spain looking to make it easier for immigrants to settle in Spain, will the new law include Britons, similar to the latest push in France?
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez this week announced measures to make it easier for immigrants to settle in Spain, championing migration and its economic benefits. “(Immigration is) not just a question of humanitarianism..., it’s also necessary for the prosperity of our economy and the sustainability of the welfare state,” Sanchez said in a speech to parliament. “The key is in managing it well.”
Spain will work on making it easier for migrants to come with a series of initiatives, including recognising academic qualifications for temporary workers, simplifying contracts as part of a new labour migration programme, and reducing red tape for residency applications, Sanchez said.
Spain’s economy is the fastest growing in the EU, boosted in part by a wave of skilled immigrants from Latin America who have plugged labour shortages in sectors such as technology and hospitality.
Sanchez, head of Spain’s Socialist party, said low-skilled migrants also helped the economy, working in “invisible jobs”. Without them, he said, sectors such as construction, agriculture and hospitality would collapse. But now the UK is a “third country”, will Britons be included in the new law?