SPAIN: Spain has opened an amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, rejecting criticism that its policy would make the country - and Europe - a stronger magnet for migrants.
The government of the Prime Minister, Mr José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, says the amnesty will allow it to manage migration better, cracking down on those already living illegally in Spain and those trying to get in.
Under the new measures, if immigrants can prove they have a clean criminal record and that they have been in Spain since last August, they can qualify for residency and thus work legally. They must also have a work contract for the next six months, to ensure only those workers needed will stay, the government says.
The plan has stirred controversy inside and outside Spain, the main gateway to Europe.
An estimated 800,000 illegal migrants live in the country, but there is no way to know how many will benefit from the amnesty.
The move appears to run counter to clampdowns in the rest of Europe. Madrid's assurances that its policy is the right one have done nothing to soothe international concerns.
At a meeting of EU ministers last month, the Dutch Immigration Minister, Ms Rita Verdonk, said the bloc needed to debate the issue of amnesties, because once the illegal migrants were recognised they had the right to move to other EU states.
- (Reuters)