Pedro Sánchez underlines the Government's desire to make Spain a benchmark in terms of migration policy and international protection in the EU

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

The President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, met this morning at the Moncloa Complex with representatives of migration NGOs, to whom he conveyed the government's desire for Spain to be an example in terms of migration policy and international protection in the EU, complying with the highest standards in the protection of human rights, and strengthening our system for the reception and integration of migrants.

During the meeting, which was also attended by the Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Sáiz, the implementation of the European Pact on Migration and Asylum was discussed. Pedro Sánchez stressed that this minimum document is an opportunity to promote worker mobility programmes, creating legal and secure channels to facilitate recruitment at source.

The chief executive stressed the government's commitment to creating new labour mobility agreements and, in this regard, he recalled that this year the Collective Management of Hiring in Origin programme will be boosted, promoting pilot projects with Mauritania, Gambia, Senegal and Guatemala. Work is also underway, together with the Inter-American Development Bank, to promote new agreements with Honduras and El Salvador.

Group photo of the meeting between the President of the Government of Spain and representatives of migration NGOs | Pool Moncloa/José Manuel Álvarez

The government is also working on the reform of the Aliens Regulations to improve the system of roots, and is seeking an agreement with the political groups on the reform of article 35 of the Aliens Act, which will speed up the transfer of minors arriving in the Canary Islands, thereby improving their situation.

Pedro Sánchez also highlighted his government's fight against hate speech, especially when directed at migrant minors. In this regard, the Action Plan for Democracy includes a legal reform to improve the system for rectifying false or blatantly biased news, the approval of a National Strategy to combat disinformation campaigns, and the creation of a new commission in the Lower House of Parliament on disinformation.

The meeting was attended by representatives of CEAR; Movimiento por la Paz; Fundación Cepaim: Acción Integral con Migrantes; Amnesty International; Andalucía Acoge; Fundación Salud por Derecho; Alianza por la Solidaridad; Federación Red Acoge; Médicos Sin Fronteras España; La Coordinadora de Organizaciones para el Desarrollo; Servicio Jesuitas a Migrantes; Spanish Red Cross; Accem; Fundación Alboan; Oxfam Intermon, and Fundación Entreculturas.

Non official translation