Catalan presidency minister on immigration deal: no transfer of power confirmed

According to Catalonia’s presidency minister Laura Vilagrà, her Spanish counterpart, Felix Bolaños, confirmed during a 20-minute phone call on Thursday that the immigration agreement reached between the Spanish government and pro-independence Junts Per Catalunya does not constitute an automatic transfer of power over immigration.

Instead, it was “simply” an agreement to “put forward” an organic law, meaning that it would have to be approved by an absolute majority in the Spanish Congress.

The devolution measure is part of a package agreed between Junts and the Spanish government in return for Junts' abstention on three votes in Congress on Wednesday, which ultimately enabled two of them to pass. 

“It’s a very diffuse pact,” Vilagrà told Catalan media on Friday. “We are in the fourth round of negotiations with the Socialist party, and we know the result when the Socialists use the verb ‘put forward’,” she added.

Vilagrà’s conclusion after talking to Bolaños was that there was no “substantial change” in the current situation. She also stressed that immigration questions should “not be discussed in last-minute negotiations,” as “the small print is very important.”

Bolaños said on Friday that even if the Spanish government devolves immigration powers to Catalonia, the EU is ultimately responsible for political decisions. 

Meanwhile, the first vice president of the Spanish government, María Jesús Montero, opened the door to extending the "transfer of powers" on migration to other autonomous communities beyond Catalonia.

She said that "common sense" should be used to determine whether there are other territories, such as the Basque Country, that also "aspire" to assume these responsibilities.

“Very dangerous” link

In response to the call by Jordi Turull, secretary general of Junts, for Catalonia's right to decide on the deportation of convicted migrants who re-offend, Vilagrà warned that it was "very dangerous" to link criminality to immigration.

The minister also recalled that within the Catalan parliament there is a pact to “isolate” speech that links crime to immigration.

Reoffending a “problem”

Vilagrà acknowledged that there is a “problem” with re-offenders in Catalonia and that it is a problem that should be solved structurally.

For that reason, the Catalan interior ministry has asked the Spanish Interior Ministry to change the law to address the problem of reoffending. “It can’t be that we have people here who can’t work because we leave them marginalized and in the underground economy.”

Junts criticizes Esquerra's reaction

Junts spokesperson Josep Rius said that Catalonia's Esquerra Republicana government was trying to "undermine" his party's agreement with the Spanish government over migration powers.  

"Giving up immigration competencies is giving up governance," he said, adding that Junts "will never give up having more powers" and that they are "not afraid to take on complex responsibilities."  

"We will never turn our backs on the problems of our people. A government with a national mission should welcome the opportunity to expand its capacity in migration matters," he added.