(ANSAmed) - MADRID, 20 SET - According to a survey by the
CIS, immigration worries Spaniards more than unemployment.
The political debate on immigration, central to the clash
between Spain's progressive government and the right-wing
opposition, has extended to society: migration is now the main
concern for Spaniards, according to the latest survey from the
state-run Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas (CIS).
In just two months, the proportion of the population considering
immigration the top issue has doubled, rising from 16% in July
to 30.4% in September. This percentage is similar to those
recorded in 2007 during the so-called "cayuco crisis," when
migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands spiked.
Once again, the growing concern coincides with the ongoing
migration crisis that has affected both the Canary Islands and
Ceuta, Spain's enclave in Morocco, for months.
In July, immigration ranked ninth among concerns
In July, according to the CIS barometer, immigration ranked
ninth among the most pressing problems identified by
respondents. By September, it had surged to the top of the list,
ahead of issues like "politics," "unemployment," "the economic
situation," and "housing."
An overwhelming majority of Spaniards (87.3%) cite inequalities
between rich and poor countries as a cause for the rise in
migration, and 72% believe countries like Spain should do more
to "help poorer countries with development." The survey was
conducted with over 4,000 interviews between September 2 and 3.
Migrant arrivals continue in the Canary Islands
Meanwhile, migrant landings in the Canary Islands show no sign
of slowing down: at least 780 people arrived in the archipelago
aboard 13 boats rescued off the islands of Lanzarote,
Fuerteventura, and El Hierro by Maritime Rescue vessels between
September 18 and 19. Twelve of the boats were brought to port by
rescue vessels from the Rescue Coordination Center, while a
thirteenth, carrying 67 people, landed on its own at La Garita
beach in Haria, Lanzarote, according to Maritime Rescue
authorities.
In total, from January 1 to July 31 of this year, 21,470
migrants arrived in the Canary Islands, according to the
Ministry of the Interior.
(Several migrants rest after some 59 migrants, rescued by a
Spanish Sea Rescue Unit's ship off the Canary Islands' coast,
arrive at the port in Gran Tarajal, Fuerteventura island, Canary
Islands, southwestern Spain, September 18, 2024. Photo:
EPA/CARLOS DE SAA) (ANSAmed).
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