Congress agrees to process the ILP to regularize foreigners, with the only vote against Vox

Congress agreed this Tuesday to process the Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) for the extraordinary regularization of more than 500,000 foreigners in Spain, with 310 votes in favor and 33 against Vox. This approval implies starting the parliamentary process of the text, which could be modified through the amendments presented by the parliamentary groups.

In the previous debate for the consideration of the ILP in the Plenary, Sofía Acedo, of the Popular Parliamentary Group, has advanced that they will put the Government "in front of the mirror" and that, therefore, they will give way to this consideration, " so that it is addressed responsibly". At this point, she has indicated that Cáritas and other entities "that care for and work with immigrants" have asked the training to address this issue.

The socialist Elisa Garrido has stated that the PSOE will vote in favor of the ILP because of the "respect" that this constitutional procedure of direct participation of citizens in legislative politics deserves and because they believe it is necessary to "continue advancing in mechanisms that guarantee safe migration processes ".

For her part, Vox deputy Rocío De Meer has indicated again that the formation led by Santiago Abascal is against the ILP. "We want Spain to continue being Spain and not Morocco, nor Algeria, nor Nigeria, nor Senegal. And this is not hatred, nor is it xenophobia, nor racism, it is pure common sense," he assured, adding that the ILP is a "call effect." .

Gala Pin, from Sumar, has asked for the regularization of foreigners "for social justice, because no person is illegal." Furthermore, she has stressed that, if the ILP is approved, "it is a mandate" and "the Government has to carry it out." "For this reason, we hope that tomorrow at the latest a group will be created with the different ministries involved and that have powers, to be able to carry out this initiative and fulfill this mandate," she added.

For the Galician Nationalist Bloc (BNG), Néstor Rego has stressed the "immense burden of humanity and decency" of the initiative. In this sense, he has stated that "in the face of the xenophobic, racist and parafascist discourse of the extreme right", in his opinion, "justice, decency and humanity must prevail."

Likewise, Javier Sánchez, for Unidas Podemos, has pointed out that the vote on this initiative "is about democracy" and has asked the PP deputies that "if they are not human enough for this to affect them, they should be interested." Meanwhile, he has indicated to the socialists that, if they oppose, "do not be surprised that political disaffection grows in the democratic bloc."

Likewise, for the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), Mikel Legarda has advanced his party's support for the initiative. In any case, he has pointed out that they consider that it should be "reoriented" to an extraordinary regularization "case by case" for humanitarian reasons, such as family regrouping or linked to economic and demographic reasons in combination with the rights of immigrants.

For EH Bildu, Jon Iñarritu has indicated that it is a day of "contained joy" because "there is a risk that this initiative will be approved today, but will remain in the freezer for the entire legislature." For this reason, he has encouraged the formations to support it and to push it "quickly" in the commissions so that it is approved "as soon as possible", and that "papers are given for everyone."

For his part, Josep Maria Cervera Pinart has announced that Junts per Catalunya will vote in favor of taking the ILP into consideration out of "respect" for the promoting entities and for the signatories. "And we will do it because we talk about people and we talk about human rights. We will do it because we must find ways to solve the current situation," he added. Furthermore, he added that they will do so because in the next steps of their processing they will be able to make "timely" contributions. "And we will also do it because we have never tired of demanding that in parliaments we must be able to talk about everything, also in that of Catalonia," he specified.

Likewise, Jordi Salvador, from ERC, has asked that this ILP be taken "seriously", because it is "playing" with the lives of more than 600,000 people. "Regulating immigrants in an irregular situation is a question of justice, humanity and also pragmatism," he said.

800 NGOS AND MORE THAN 700,000 SIGNATURES

Specifically, up to 800 NGOs joined in the Essential Platform project - made up of

The initiative had the support of Sumar, ERC, Bildu, PNV and BNG from the beginning, while PP and Vox spoke out against it and the PSOE insisted during the parliamentary debates that European legislation does not allow this type of process. The ILP was registered in the last legislature in Congress and since these initiatives do not decline even if the chambers are dissolved, their processing has been resumed.

In Spain, six extraordinary regularizations of migrants have been carried out, as Legalteam recalled in statements to Europa Press.

Between 1991 and 1992, with the socialist Government, an extraordinary regularization was launched that benefited 108,321. In 1996, with the PP through another extraordinary regularization process, 21,294 immigrants of the 25,128 who requested it obtained papers. In the year 2000, 244,327 foreigners requested regularization and 163,352 obtained documentation.

In 2001 it was called "regularization by roots" and granted papers to 239,174 immigrants of the more than 350,000 who requested it.

The last extraordinary regularization process was carried out by the Government of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, almost 20 years ago, in 2005, and in it more than half a million migrants obtained documentation.