Spain’s main opposition leader, Alberto Núñez Feijóo (main image) of the right-wing People’s Party (PP), has pledged to introduce a points-based visa system for migrants if he comes to power – one designed to favour foreigners who, in his words, adapt ‘better’ to Spanish society and culture.
Speaking on Sunday at a party event in Murcia — a region where far-right Vox has made significant electoral gains — Feijóo underlined the PP’s hardening approach to immigration ahead of the 2027 general election, as his party faces competition from Vox on the issue.
He said that the system would regulate the entry of foreign workers, particularly in sectors with labour shortages, and give priority to those more familiar with Spanish customs.
‘We advocate for a new points-based visa that prioritises entry for those who want to work in sectors where there are labour shortages, for those who know our culture best, and for those with a greater capacity for integration,’ Feijóo said.
The PP leader also argued that countries cooperating with Spain’s immigration rules should be incentivised.
‘The visa will also take into account the commitment of countries to our immigration policy. If they help us restore order, they will be rewarded; and if they encourage disorder, people coming from those countries will obviously not be granted visas,’ he added.
Although Feijóo did not provide details on how the plan would be enforced, he pointed out that governments like Italy and Australia have systems in which they compensate third countries for accepting deported migrants.
He insisted Spain cannot ‘give up control’ of its borders to ‘mafias’ who, he said, push ‘thousands of people into the sea’ at the risk of their lives.
Feijóo further promised ‘zero tolerance’ toward migrants convicted of ‘serious’ crimes, stating that such individuals would automatically lose their residency status, even if they were legally established in Spain.
At the same time, he distanced himself from Vox’s call for mass expulsions, recently mocked after the party vowed to deport more people than actually live in Spain. ALSO READ: Far-right Vox party seeks to clarify its plans to ‘deport 8 million immigrants’.
‘You won’t find us having a policy of ‘whoever wants can enter’, but we don’t have to throw them all out either,’ he said.
Feijóo closed by stressing that immigration must rest on the principle that ‘contributing must be a condition for remaining’ — meaning newcomers should be required to work and pay taxes in order to stay in Spain. ALSO READ: Spain’s home minister blames ‘rhetoric’ of far-right Vox for anti-migrant unrest in Torre Pacheco.
According to him, the current system allows ‘thousands of migrants’ to enter irregularly, apply for residency without work or residency requirements, and then request benefits such as the Minimum Living Income (IMV).
The Galician politician portrayed tackling ‘illegal immigration’ as one of Spain’s main priorities, arguing that the situation has worsened under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s socialist-led government. ALSO READ: ‘We owe a lot to them’ – Sánchez hails benefits of ‘safe, orderly, regular migration’.
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Creo en una España abierta y acogedora, también en la convivencia y libertad.
— Alberto Núñez Feijóo (@NunezFeijoo) September 28, 2025
Contribuir tiene que ser condición para permanecer. Por eso, proponemos:
· Un visado por puntos que garantice el cumplimiento de la ley y la integración.
· Que el IMV deje de ser una vía para legalizar… pic.twitter.com/q2QXbHB5nY
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