Concern among Spaniards about immigration has surged in the past year with 57 percent of citizens believing there are now “too many” immigrants in the country, new polling shows.
A recent survey by the 40dB Institute for El País and Cadena SER revealed that 75 percent of Spaniards now associate immigration with negative concepts such as insecurity, crime, and overburdened public services. The increase in concern — up by 16 points over the last year and a half — reflects a considerable shift at a time when the migrant crisis, particularly on the Canary Islands archipelago is at the forefront of public debate.
A total of 41 percent of respondents described immigration as a significant concern with a growing unease particularly prevalent among Gen Z males who broadly agree with the description of Vox leader Santiago Abascal, who has described the current migration crisis as an “invasion,” and the center-right opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who has linked immigration with crime and called for “mass deportations.”
The survey reveals significant differences in opinions based on political affiliation. Among supporters of the hard-right SALF, 93.4 percent believe there are too many immigrants, with Vox supporters close behind at 86.1 percent. However, 4 out of 10 left-wing PSOE voters (41 percent) also share the belief that there are too many immigrants, while 27.7 percent of Sumar voters and 24.2 percent of Podemos voters express similar views.
The majority of respondents (74.8 percent) link immigration to various negative outcomes, such as increased insecurity (29.5 percent), strain on public services (27.2 percent), social divides (21.2 percent), and crime (19.2 percent). A significant portion also associates immigration with unemployment (16.7 percent) and a “loss of cultural identity” (7.6 percent).
Despite these concerns, there remains support for humanitarian immigration policies. A majority (64.3 percent) agree that Spain should welcome people fleeing war or political persecution, though over half (52.8 percent) believe this should come with limitations.
A significant takeaway from the survey is that 1 in 4 Spaniards would halt immigration from North Africa’s Maghreb region, while 1 in 6 would restrict immigrants arriving from sub-Saharan Africa.
Respondents also saw a difference in the origin of immigration when asked whether they would be happy with a family member marrying a foreign national. While nearly half (49 percent) would approve of a son or daughter entering into a relationship with someone from northern, central, or southern Europe, just 22.8 percent would be happy for a child’s partner to originate from North Africa.
