Public support is growing in Spain for initiatives to tighten legislation concerning the deportation of migrants who have committed crimes. According to recent poll data, 78% of citizens believe the law should be changed to simplify the expulsion process for such individuals. This view resonates not only among right-wing party supporters but also within a significant portion of left-wing voters.
The issue of deporting migrants who break the law has long been a focal point for right-wing political forces, but in recent months it has sparked a broader public debate. People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has proposed amending the law to allow not only the expulsion of illegal migrants who have committed crimes but also those legally residing in Spain if they break the law. This initiative is supported by 94% of People’s Party backers and 86% of Vox voters. Notably, there is also strong approval among supporters of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) and the Sumar bloc—71% and 57%, respectively.
Only 15% of respondents oppose stricter laws, while another 7% were undecided. The survey was conducted at the end of August, during an active national debate over the redistribution of underage migrants from overcrowded regions—such as the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla—to other autonomous communities. Although the main topic was not crime but solidarity and governance issues, migration remained in the spotlight due to recent incidents involving tensions between local residents and migrants, particularly in Torre Pacheco (Torre Pacheco).
According to current legislation, migrants who are in the country illegally can be deported by administrative decision; however, if they are subject to criminal proceedings, the decision on expulsion is made by a court. For legal migrants, the possibility of deportation is outlined in Article 89 of the Penal Code, but it is generally applied only in cases of prison sentences of more than one year. In practice, such measures are rare due to difficulties in enforcing decisions. Experts note that possible legislative changes could make deportation procedures more mandatory and expand their application.
In 2024, Spain deported 3,031 foreign nationals, excluding cases of immediate return of undocumented individuals, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
The survey also showed that 91% of Spaniards consider migration policy a matter of national importance rather than an issue for individual regions. Only 9% of respondents held the opposite view. Thus, there is a consensus in society that decisions on migration issues should be made at the national level.
Particular attention is now focused on the situation of underage migrants in the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. The number of children and teenagers arriving in these regions is three times higher than the capacity of local services to accommodate and protect them. As a result, the question of redistributing minors among all the country’s autonomous communities is being discussed. Sixty-four percent of those surveyed support this measure, while 36% are opposed. Among supporters of the Partido Popular, opinions are nearly evenly split, while most Vox voters are against it. Meanwhile, support for redistribution prevails among PSOE and Sumar supporters—82% and 92% respectively.
In response to the critical situation, the Spanish government has declared a state of emergency regarding migration in the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla. This decision follows requests from local authorities, who have faced an overload of social services due to an influx of underage migrants. A special protocol approved by the Council of Ministers will now apply in these regions, outlining a gradual transfer of around 3,000 children and adolescents to other regions of the country over the course of a year. To implement this mechanism, an amendment was made to the immigration law, despite objections from the People’s Party, whose representatives are part of the governments of the Canary Islands, Ceuta, and Melilla.
Thus, migration policy and issues of deportation remain among the most widely discussed topics in Spanish society, bringing together voters across the political spectrum and highlighting the need for nationwide solutions.
