Managed migration in Spain
Recent stories
Vexed question of local mosques
Since the Madrid bombing on 11 March, the existence and/or development of local mosques has become extremely contentious and the Islamic community has asked the state to regulate the country's mosques as it does the churches.
5 December 2004 (484 words)
Religious education still being debated
Whilst the Catholic Church campaigns to have Catholicism taught as any other school course, the Education Ministry has announced that the teaching of Islamic religion will extend to several cities in Spain (in addition to the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in North Africa).
30 November 2004 (84 words)
Catholic church to fight Socialist reforms
The Roman Catholic Church has placed itself in the frontline of opposition to the government of Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero by calling for a December demonstration to protest at plans on gay marriages, divorce, abortion and the amending of religious education in schools.
29 October 2004 (91 words)
Aragon: anti-Moorish symbols to go
Authorities in Aragon have proposed that the severed heads of four Moors (harking back 500 years to the eviction of the Moors from Spain) should be removed from its heraldic shield.
21 October 2004 (52 words)
Popular Party slams funding of multi-faith education
The leader of the Popular Party (PP) has blasted a Justice Ministry proposal to finance state education in other religions besides Catholicism, arguing that public money should not be spent on teaching faiths 'which are not part of our culture'.
26 August 2004 (133 words)
Melilla's Berbers denounce apartheid
Melilla boasts its five cultures and peaceful integration of Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and Gypsies.
21 August 2004 (95 words)
Madrid victims granted residence
The Spanish government has given residence permits to nearly 700 immigrants who were either victims or related to victims of the Madrid bombs on 11 March.
13 August 2004 (73 words)
Archbishop accuses government over Islamification
According to Spain's leading archbishop, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco, the government having decided to cancel compulsory religious classes (first introduced by Franco) and to find ways of financing other faiths, including Islam from public money, is taking Spain back to Moorish times.
8 July 2004 (184 words)
SOS Racismo warns against xenophobia
According to the 2003 Annual Report from SOS Racismo, the Spanish Law for Foreigners has actually ended up increasing racism and xenophobia.
1 June 2004 (126 words)
Controversial plans for mosques withdrawn
Following concerted opposition and a meeting with leaders of the Muslim community, the new Socialist interior minister, Josè Antonio Alonso has withdrawn controversial proposals aimed at control of the preaching of imams.
23 May 2004 (294 words)
New government announces tightening of race laws
The new government is to create an observatory against xenophobia and racism and a council to promote equal rights and tackle race discrimination.
13 May 2004 (38 words)
ATIME calls for official Islamic Council
The Moroccan Workers Association (ATIME) has called on the new Socialist government to help facilitate the formation of a democratically-elected Islamic Council to keep mosques and imams under control and prevent the teaching of extremist Islam.
8 April 2004 (183 words)
Barcelona council protects migrants' data from the police
Barcelona council had provided legal ammunition to town hall officials as to how to deny police requests under the new Foreigners' Law on undocumented migrants.
13 February 2004 (164 words)
El Ejido and Cartaya mayors accused of fomenting racism
The People's Party mayor of El Ejido (the site of racist confrontations about migrant workers in 2000) and the Socialist Party mayor of Cartaya claimed at a meeting in Barcelona that migrants presented many problems: they drank; were dirty businessmen; and did not know how to look at women.
7 February 2004 (145 words)
Foreigners must get defence ministry authorisation for purchasing property
Non-EU immigrants who want to buy property in any of 1,560 municipalities situated in areas of 'national security interest' must now obtain a permit from the Defence Ministry, which in turn demands a certificate on criminal record, a plan of the dwelling, its location, and other documents.
6 February 2004 (241 words)
Alicante: civil guard accused of unlawful raid
Twelve members of the civil guard burst into the headquarters of the United Workers (CCOO) in Torrevieja, Alicante, without a warrant and detained six undocumented workers.
1 January 2004 (110 words)
Catalonia: Prime minister courts race/immigration controversy
In April, the prime minister of the Catalan autonomous government, Jordi Pujol, stated that if central government refused to grant the autonomous region new powers as regards immigration, Catalan identity would be in danger.
30 June 2003 (223 words)
Melilla and Ceuta: Muslims attack discrimination in residence laws
Abderramàn Benyahya, secretary general of the Muslim Association of Melilla, wants to bring a test case against the government to prove that the Spanish Document of National Identity has been consistently denied to Muslims from both Ceuta and Melilla because they are not Christians.
11 March 2003 (222 words)
Argentinians - increasing hurdles to enter Spain
In October, the minister for Argentinian foreign relations, Carlos Ruckauf, said that Argentina is to formally complain against Spain's attempts to make entry for Argentinians into Spain difficult.
14 November 2002 (122 words)
Ecuadorians protest new visa requirement
Immigrant associations representing the 150000 Ecuadorians currently living in Spain are protesting against the EU's exclusion of Ecuador from a list of 60 countries whose nationals do not require an entrance visa into the Schengen area.
13 November 2002 (204 words)
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