SPAIN: Spain is expecting more than one million people to apply for citizenship after it relaxed its immigration laws, the Foreign Minister said yesterday.
Spain has one of the lowest birth rates in the European Union. The government has reversed its policy and approved laws that allow foreigners with Spanish relatives to apply for citizenship directly, instead of first obtaining a work visa.
"We are expecting more than one million applications," said Ms Ana Palacio in a television interview. She said she also expected the economic turmoil in Latin America to swell the tide. The foreign ministry will bolster consulate staffing to work through the applications.
"We are going to allow the consulates to do their work. We have increased staffing and introduced a new plan but we cannot cope with a complete avalanche which runs out of control," Ms Palacio said.
"There is no deadline. All those who have [Spanish\] relatives who want to take advantage of this new law should know that if they go a week later it is not going to affect their chances. There is no quota."
Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar's government has stepped up efforts to curb illegal immigration, a concern shared by its EU partners.
Officials say more than 40,000 illegal migrants were prevented from entering Spain in the first eight months of last year. Hundreds of Africans die each year in attempts to reach Spain or the Canary Islands on makeshift rafts.