Police unions flatly reject the transfer of immigration powers to Catalonia

The rejection of the police unions to the transfer of migration powers to the Generalitat by the State is unanimous. The organizations have harshly criticized the measure agreed with Junts so that, with their abstentions, the Government could carry out at least two of the three decrees put to a vote this Wednesday in the superplenum of Congress.

The Unified Police Union (SUP), the majority in the National Police, sent an urgent letter this Thursday to the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, after confirming what they describe as “such a serious event.” “We hope that the Minister of the Interior does not fail in his obligations and will oppose and defend the National Police over which he exercises command and especially preserve the powers of the Corps,” he said in a statement.

Like the other unions, which have expressed themselves in the same sense, the SUP police understand that this transfer of powers “represents the almost total disintegration of the National Police in Catalonia”, “a dismantling”, and weakens the State. In their opinion, “giving up immigration powers in Catalonia is a setback, giving in is not progress,” the union has stressed. Furthermore, they point out, the measure goes against the European approach that aims to address the phenomenon globally and not regionally.

“In recent hours, the Government has opened the door to the scrapping of the State's powers in a very sensitive matter,” the Spanish Police Confederation (CEP) warned late on Wednesday, when the counterparts of Junts' abstention began to be revealed. in the super plenary session that lasted all day. “This is an area in which unity of criteria and a global vision of a phenomenon whose origin and motivations far exceed the limited regional focus is vital,” they argued.

Alleviating a parliamentary weakness

From the CEP they warn that “this transfer, which is proposed to materialize using an exceptional mechanism contemplated in article 150.2 of the Spanish Constitution and which requires the approval of an Organic Law of deconcentration of this exclusive competence of the State, does not obey a process calm and rigorous analysis of needs.” They assure that “it is not the conclusion of a debate in which it has been proven that the shared management of immigration policies is more effective or will benefit citizens more.” In his opinion, “on the contrary, the measure responds to the application of a criterion of political convenience—fully legitimate, but with obvious consequences in the immigration field—whose ultimate goal is not the improvement of a public policy but rather the alleviation of a parliamentary weakness.” ”.

For its part, the Jupol union, which rivals the SUP in affiliations within the National Police Corps, has indicated that the decision of the Pedro Sánchez Government represents “a new step to complete the departure of the National Police of Catalonia, to the “which they intend to turn into a police force without functions.” According to its spokesperson, Aarón Rivero, “This is a new loss of powers for the national police in Catalonia, which does not meet technical or operational criteria, but rather political and partisan objectives.”

Although the specific scope of this transfer is still unknown, which could be limited to the social and labor area and not to others that have a greater impact on police activity, the unions have wanted to defend the importance of both infractions regarding Immigration and sanctioning regime continues to be in the hands of the National Police. The SUP has also requested the protection of the European Union against what it considers “an extreme risk for our borders”, and has warned the minister “that their position will be firm and forceful and that they will never allow” the marketing of skills. security in exchange for votes.”

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