Congress approval needed for devolution of immigration powers to Catalonia

The transfer of immigration powers to the Catalan government will be implemented via an organic law, meaning it will need an absolute majority in the Spanish Congress to be approved. 

The devolution measure is part of a package agreed between pro-independence 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. 

The manner of the transfer of immigration powers were revealed by the first vice-president of the Spanish government, María Jesús Montero, and Spain's presidency minister, Félix Bolaños, who said that it will be a fully constitutional transfer that will have to be finalized in Congress. 

Specifically, it will take effect through article 150.2 of the Spanish Constitution, which covers transfer of powers from the Spanish government to Autonomous Communities. 

Bolaños contacted the Catalan government on Thursday morning, to discuss "the scope of what we have agreed." 

Full constitutional guarantees 

Speaking to the media on Thursday morning, Montero said that it was still too early to know all the details of the transfer of immigration powers. 

"It's only been 12 hours since we reached this agreement and we will have to develop it via an organic law," she said, explaining that the law will have to be processed in Congress. "There is a lot to discuss," she added. 

"It will be fully valid and with full constitutional guarantees," Montero said, because "this government term is the legislature of dialogue, and dialogue enriches."  

Junts: Catalonia should have deportation powers 

Catalonia must have the right to decide whether or not to deport convicted migrants who reoffend, Junts general secretary Jordi Turull told Catalunya Ràdio on Thursday morning. 

"We have to look at the conditions under which you can deport them," Turull said, adding that "no mayor is satisfied that there are people in their town who have reoffended 210 times." 

According to Turull, Junts, founded by former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, believes that the Catalan government should have "the powers of any state," including control of residence permits and migration flow. 

Immigration is a "crucial" issue, said Turull, who declined to set a date for the transfer of powers, because the party wants to "negotiate a good organic law." 

Esquerra Republicana (ERC), the pro-independence party in government in Catalonia, said that Junts' deals with Spain had "a lot of small print." 

Teresa Jordà, the party's number two in Congress, told Catalan public broadcaster TV3 that ERC had already discussed some of the same things Junts agreed with the Spanish government. 

"The Government of the country [Catalonia] must have its say. There are many hours of work to do" on issues such as the transfer of immigration powers, she said. 

In the same vein, Laura Vilagrà, Catalonia's presidency minister, called on the Spanish government to provide details of the agreement "to know what exactly [the measures] would consist of."

Socialists: Powers must be exercised 

The leader of the Catalan Socialists, Salvador Illa, said that he was in favor of the transfer of immigration powers to Catalonia but asked "to do what?" 

"We have a lot of powers and we don't exercise them properly," he said in a radio interview with RAC1. 

Illa was "delighted," he said, that Catalonia has more powers, but they must be exercised.  

With the agreement between Junts and the Socialist-led Spanish government reached at the very last minute before the votes on the decrees in Congress, Illa criticized "people who want to turn every vote into a Vietnam [war]." 

"I don't like that, it's not my style: I don't like these Vietnams, I like serious and rigorous politics," the former Spanish health minister said. 

Transport discounts 

Meanwhile, Spain's Montero and Bolaños also addressed other measures included in the decrees passed after Wednesday's mammoth 12-hour parliamentary session. 

Regarding discounts for public transport, they confirmed that the Spanish executive's 30% contribution was not dependent on regional governments committing to fund the other 20% needed to reach discounts of 50%. 

Montero said she was "convinced," however, that "the Autonomous Communities will voluntarily contribute 20% of the ticket price."