Spain is considered to be one of principal European countries with top concentration of illegal immigrants on its borders. In conditions of weak migration control (in the judgment of most European states), availability of “transparent” borders with adjacent states and other factors the problem of illegal immigration arose, which means illegal entry or stay of foreigners in the Spanish territory. According to J.M. Ridao, the reason of illegal immigration to Spain is the immigration policy of the country itself.
Spain is one of EU countries with top concentration of illegal immigrants. Among 3 million ineligible foreigners in Europe, 500 thousand reside in France, 300 thousand in Spain, and 235 — in Italy. However, according to data of National Statistics Institute under the Spanish Ministry of Home Affairs, more than 1 million immigrants stay on the territory of Spain, which differs significantly with Eurostat data, as we can see.
In the judgment of a migration expert, an author of the book “The Other Side of Immigration” L. Klein, some Spanish sources publish understated data on the number of migrants in Spanish territory, i.e. only those are taken into account, who crossed Spanish borders illegally. Klein claims it is necessary to consider the fact that about 80% of foreigners become illegal immigrants on the Spanish territory only.
Most of EU citizens (especially Britishers and Germans) — retirees, who reside in the coastal zones of Spain, on Canary and Balearic Islands for a long time, have no requisite documents but sufficient financial means to attract foreign capital to Spain. Therefore, nobody rank this category among illegal migrants.
Many immigrants lawfully enter the country with tourist, student and visitor visas, in particular, from other EU states. The former prime-minister of Spain J. M. Asnar, in one of his speeches emphasized that main channel of illegal immigration into Spain are airports and not Gibraltar or Canary Islands as is customary supposed. Only 20% of foreigners cross the borders of Spain in illegal way often having recourse to criminal formations.