Second meeting of the Doctoral College was marked by a focus on migration in realities such as the Spanish one.
Under the title ‘Innovation and public policies: possibilities in the face of emerging crises. La dimensión nativista de las propuestas de reforma del EB en Europa: El caso de VOX en España’, Dr. Manuel Sanchez Reinón spoke at the second meeting of the Doctoral College Seminar, organised by the Graduate School of the Faculty of Social Sciences, together with INCASI and with the collaboration of COES.
A new meeting of the Doctoral College, organised by the Graduate School of the Faculty of Social Sciences, was held on 15 January. Manuel Sanchez Reinón, professor at the Faculty of Political Science and Social Work of the Complutense University of Madrid, and coordinator of Inclusion in the Faculty of Political Science and Sociology of the same university, gave a talk on ‘Innovation and public policies: possibilities in the face of emerging crises. The nativist dimension of EB reform proposals in Europe: The case of VOX in Spain’. An activity of the FACSO Doctoral Seminar, which was organised by the Graduate School of the Faculty of Social Sciences, together with INCASI and with the collaboration of COES.
According to Caterine Galaz, director of the Graduate School of the Faculty of Social Sciences, part of the challenge of the Doctoral College is to intensify the internationalisation of transdisciplinary reflections on certain topics, as in this case the advance of the far-right at the political level and its impact on public policy, with the participation of Dr. Manuel Sanchez of the Complutense University of Madrid.
In this context, the second meeting was inserted, with the aim of generating synergies between the different doctoral proposals of the faculty, recalling that the first session was held in October 2024 with a seminar on transdisciplinary reflection at doctoral level.
During his speech, Professor Manuel Sanchez Reinón, pointed out that the rise of VOX – a Spanish political party of ultra-conservative and ultra-nationalist ideology that was founded on 17 December 2013 – as a party with a strong Nativist lineage, has the sense to install an anti-migration discourse from the idea that the services and benefits coming from the EB should be destined to the natives of Spain.
Some 25 per cent of the Spanish population is in favour of migrants accessing social benefits and services upon arrival in the country (as of 2016). There is a continuous growth of migration in Spain, mainly of Venezuelans, Colombians and Peruvians.
However, VOX’s discourse focuses against the migration of mainly Moroccans and Senegalese, arguing that they have different customs and religion from native Spaniards, but not Latin American migrants. But these groups are the least likely to apply for asylum, so in political terms they are not a problem for the Spanish welfare state.
During the 1980s, migration was not considered a problem, Sánchez recalled. As part of Spain’s accession to the European Union (EU), a law on foreigners was passed to control migration.
Manuel Sánchez also pointed out that the influence of the media contributes to the politicisation of the ‘immigration problem’ and exacerbates anti-immigration sentiment among the population.
The government began to take ambivalent measures in the same year, approving pro-rights policies and then implementing restrictive policies. In 2003, measures such as the expansion of migrant detention centres were implemented.
The 2008 crisis led to a decrease in migration, changing the profile of migrants of Latin American origin. Later VOX appeared with a discourse against Catalan nationalism, which fed on the national political crisis and relied on the negative perception of migration.
The professor raised some points for discussion, such as, for example, the concern about the speed with which VOX appeared and grew: in less than 10 years they were installed at the political level. There is also concern about the creation and development of transnational alliances. For example, in Chile, the Republican Party and some far-right public figures have emerged.
In Chile, there is no real inclusive migration policy, but only visa-related measures. There are also pro-migration business groups (in favour of regularisation). On the other hand, within Spain there is provision for social inclusion.
With regard to the Spanish migration experience, this Spanish memory is rather generational, with the VOX vote coming from younger people. As an invitation to reflection, Professor Manuel Sánchez said that it was worth considering and questioning whether the rise of the far right was a temporary phenomenon or whether these parties could indeed be maintained at the political level.