On the issue of immigration there is a lot of ideology, interests and confusion mixed together. There are those who advocate opening the doors completely, and others want to lock them. Some are described as “do-gooders” and others as “far-right radicals.” Some think that borders do not have to exist and others see immigration as a social, economic and cultural values threat.
The reality is that in Spain and Catalonia, the birth rate is very low – only 1.2 children per woman – and that if there were no immigration the population would age, with the risk of disappearing. Any rigorous analysis sees that advanced societies are aging, and in order to progress they need immigration, but this has to have limits, be orderly and follow certain criteria.
Catalonia has needed and will need immigration. But what kind? Apart from the fact that it must be accepted for humanitarian reasons, immigration policy must take into account the country's labor needs, the present and future productive model, the capacity for integration and social acceptance. It is true that a good part of the immigration we have had is of poorly educated people, a fact that reduces productivity and per capita income, in addition to creating certain social tensions.
But the reality is that large sectors of the Spanish and Catalan economies have little added value, and therefore, create low-quality jobs. The immigration that has come is what the sectors of tourism, construction, agriculture or personal services, such as care of the elderly, have requested.
To increase GDP and per capita income, Catalonia has to insert itself into the new production and demand model that is being configured in the EU and globally. It has to modernize the productive fabric, create and attract companies and services with greater added value. This means progressively transforming the production model towards innovative sectors, and higher quality products and services, which will demand more qualified jobs and increase productivity. There is a contradiction that in both Spain and Catalonia we have high unemployment and at the same time many companies ask for qualified personnel who are not available in the labor market.
Catalonia must make a great effort in education, training, professional reconversion and attracting specialized personnel to meet the demand of a productive system that is being transformed. Catalonia has always been a country that welcomes immigrants, who have contributed to its progress. We must continue receiving immigrants, but they must be welcomed and integrated with dignity into society, and they must be helped to train in those sectors that the productive fabric needs and that the current environment demands. A highly complex environment that requires vision of the future, effort, flexibility and the will to progress. Catalonia has the ability to turn this wish into a reality.
