US President Donald Trump A sweeping deportation campaign The strict approach to restricting immigration, especially from Latin American countries, has an impact on Spain. The country is witnessing an increasing number of Latinians who arrive, abandoning their American dream.
Benjamin Enrique Berardini Manjars is one of them. The 33 -year -old Colombian arrived in Madrid at the beginning of May, through Italy.
“My first idea was to go to the United States like many other Latinians, and I have this dream of America for a better life and earning money,” said Berrindelli Manjers. “In one day, you can earn enough money to pay a month rent in Colombia.”
He was planning to travel to the American border and illegally crossing, but Trump’s most striking immigration policies forced him to change his plans.
“Many Colombian friends told me that they want to return. They no longer feel safe and afraid of ice (enforcement of migration, customs) and the police,” said Berardinelli Manager, who left behind a three -year -old wife and child.
He has now to wait two years before he can apply for a special Residence permit For foreigners in an “irregular situation”.
“The United States is very dangerous for us now. I think the American dream has ended. Now, it’s Europe,” he said.
More Latinians expect in Spain
Spain has already recorded an increase in the number of Venezuelans looking for asylum in the first quarter of 2025, With 23,724 requestsAn increase of 54 percent compared to the same period last year.
“This is just the beginning,” said Anna Maria Dies, co -founder and coalition head of Venezuela, an international union for immigrants and refugees. Non -governmental organizations.
Mexico said it contains It received nearly 39,000 people who were deported from the United States Since Trump took office. These deportations can increase as the United States Supreme Court authorized the Trump Administration To end the deportation protection For about 350,000 Venezuelan.
“Many people are now afraid to go to the United States with the speeches of foreign phobia and combat to Trump,” Dies said. “These people now give up the American dream to try to follow the European dream, and it is clear that the gate is Spain.”
Spain is in fact easier entry point than other countries of Latin America, who speak the same language and already know culture. They also do not need a visa to come as tourists for less than 90 days.
“It is somewhat similar to the lottery,” said Motorine Diaz, Madrid’s immigration lawyer. “Sometimes, upon their arrival, they may be interrogated and returned if they believe that the tourist person will come to search for asylum.”
CBC News spoke with the Venezuelan lawyer just three days after his arrival in the Spanish capital. Trump’s return to the White House changed his plans.
“Under Biden’s leadership, it was already difficult but it could be achieved, but now, with Trump is almost impossible,” the 40 -year -old explained.
CBC agreed to maintain the confidentiality of his identity because it fears the repercussions of his political activity in Venezuela.
After Austria tried a few years ago, when his asylum was rejected, he returned to his country in the hope of illegally going to the United States. But the death of a friend drowned while trying to reach the United States, and changed the fear of deporting his opinion.
He now hopes to take advantage of a Spanish law that allows children or descendants of immigrants who have Spanish heritage to apply for citizenship. He ultimately hopes to bring his wife and children to Spain.
The Trump administration has deported more than 200 immigrants by summoning the law of foreign enemies – a wartime measure – on the grounds that they are members of Trin de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Andrew Zhang explains how Trump explains the language of the law in 1798 in order to avoid the standard immigration court system, and why experts say it is a slippery slope.
Meanwhile, with a little money remaining, he says he does not know where to spend the next few weeks.
“I hope I can find a small job on the black market during the tourism season to earn 40 or 50 euros per day. This is not much, because Madrid is very expensive, but it will be something.”
It overwhelms asylum applications
Diaz says that she also sees the Latinians already in the United States, some of them have good functions, and they submit requests on the foundations of economics or asylum.
“They all want to come to Spain now,” she said.
However, Spain had already flooded with asylum applications before this last wave, as controls in Italy and Greece narrowed He pushed many immigrants to enter Europe through the Canary Islands.
“It is difficult to know what will have the full influence, but the certainty is that the system is really steeped, and the procedures are very long,” said Diaz. “It may take a year before you get your first appointment to apply, then you have to wait for another months until the operation is completed.”
The Spanish left -wing government recently Immigration law amended Hoping to treat immigrants that are not documented more quickly.
“Last year, the scenario was mostly to return the Latinians. Now, they are better accepted,” Diaz said.
Historically, Spain has one of the lowest approval rates of the European Union for asylum, 18.5 per cent in 2024 Compared to the European average of 42 percent.
Diaz said: “This is especially for the Colombian and Cuban people who do not qualify to obtain (asylum) even if we know that in these countries they have no democracy and have many issues,” Diaz said. “The authorities will say that they come here for economic reasons, not for protection.”
Fear of leaving it in forgetting
Alexander Jose Salazar Ramirez, 34 -year -old Venezuelan says he feels besieged. He fled for political reasons and has been living in Peru since 2018 and in 2023 he was asked to participate in the refugee resettlement program in the United States in the United States
“I have made all my documents ready, and they gave me a date to travel on February 13 (2025) to Chicago,” Ramirez said. “I sold all my things, left my job, left the apartment, and a week before the trip, they told me that I could no longer travel by President Trump’s order.”
Since then, he was in a state of forgetfulness, and he has not been able to return to his country for fear of prison.
“I was condemning the ongoing human rights violations that occur in Venezuela. I am like a goal for the government. Even here, I don’t feel very safe,” said Ramirez, who says his life must start from scratch. “I am really thinking about Spain, but for the time being, I can’t bear it.”
The coalition head in Venezuela says Spain should work with the United Nations and the United States to establish a resettlement process for people like Ramirez.
“These people stumble without an alternative,” Dies said.
Spanish government He said it is working on a plan To accommodate the majority of Latin deportees from the United States, but they have not yet revealed the details.
“The recent decisions in the United States have affected the entire South American region,” Dies said. “We have seen other countries trying to repeat the barriers that Trump faces in place, such as Argentina, which was historically a safe haven for people all over the world. This can push more people to exile.”
https://i.cbc.ca/1.7545145.1748372797!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpeg_gen/derivatives/16x9_1180/benjamin-enrique-berardinelli-manjarrez.jpeg?im=Resize%3D620
Source link