The Popular Party only accepts national priority when it needs VOX's votes, as has happened in Extremadura
The VOX Municipal Group in Benidorm City Council voted against the motion presented by the People's Party (PP) regarding the mass regularisation of immigrants approved by Pedro Sánchez's government, after the PP and the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) rejected the substitute amendment presented by VOX.
VOX's municipal spokesperson, José Miguel San Martín, explained that his group tried to amend the PP's motion because, in VOX's view, "the PP's text falls short and doesn't address the real problem."
"For the People's Party, the problem doesn't seem to be the mass regularisation itself, but rather the lack of funding, reports, criteria, and administrative resources to process it. This is clear in their third point, where they request an economic impact assessment, a transparent procedure, clear criteria, and sufficient funding for municipalities to address their impact," San Martín pointed out.
VOX considers this position insufficient because "mass regularisation isn't solved with more paperwork or more public money: it's hindered."
“The PP doesn’t say national priority, doesn’t ask for repatriation, and doesn’t dare to say Spaniards first.”
The substitute amendment presented by VOX proposed rejecting the open-door immigration policy, withdrawing the mass regularisation decree, initiating the necessary mechanisms for the repatriation of immigrants residing illegally in Spain, and establishing national priority in access to social assistance, public services, and housing programs.
However, the PP and PSOE voted against this amendment.
“We tried to reach an agreement. We wanted the motion to be clear, firm, and useful for the residents of Benidorm. But when VOX proposed discussing national priority, the PP said no. When VOX proposed discussing the repatriation of illegal immigrants, the PP said no. And when VOX proposed stating that Spaniards should be prioritised for aid, housing, and public services, the PP said no,” stated San Martín.
For the VOX spokesperson, the vote exposed the difference between the two parties: “The PP wants to appear firm against illegal immigration, but doesn't dare to defend national priority. VOX does.”
VOX denounces that Benidorm is already suffering the consequences
San Martín pointed out that Benidorm is already seeing the direct consequences of this immigration policy, with the City Council overwhelmed by applications related to the vulnerability certificate for extraordinary regularisation.
“This isn't an abstract debate in Madrid. It's happening here. While many Benidorm residents struggle to access housing, aid, or benefits, the City Council is forced to dedicate resources to managing the consequences of an immigration policy it didn't decide on, and that will ultimately be paid for by the residents,” he stated.
VOX insists that mass regularisation creates a pull factor, rewards those who have broken the law, and further strains public services that already have waiting lists and limited resources.
“The PP only applies national priority when VOX is needed”
San Martín also pointed out the People's Party's contradiction regarding national priority.
"The PP only truly wants to halt regularisation and emphasise national priority when it needs VOX's votes. We've seen this in Extremadura, where, thanks to VOX, the principle of national priority was incorporated into access to social assistance and housing. When they don't need us, they revert to half-measures," he stated.
The municipal spokesperson emphasised that VOX voted against the PP's motion because "we are not here to gloss over the problem or to ask for more resources to manage a regularisation that shouldn't be happening."
"We don't want to make mass regularisation viable. We want to stop it. We want the repatriation of those who are illegally in Spain. And we want national priority so that Spaniards are the first to access the aid, housing, and public services they support with their taxes," San Martín concluded.
