Europe Races To Tighten Immigration Restrictions — But Spain Could Ruin It For Everyone

The European Parliament just approved one of the strictest immigration reforms in recent years, but one country could derail remigration efforts altogether.

The parliament approved new restrictions Wednesday that introduce “return hubs” outside the European Union for migrants denied asylum by European countries, streamlining the deportation process. The migration policies will allow for the creation of deportation hubs and grant authorities broader detainment powers.

Chants of “send them back” rang through the crowd of parliament members Wednesday as the new immigration law passed in a 418-218 vote. (RELATED: ‘We Depend On Them’ — Belfast Victim’s Family Issues Pro-Migrant Statement After Near Beheading)

While the rest of Europe tries to reduce immigration, Spain received nearly 900,000 applications from undocumented migrants looking for a path to legal citizenship, nearly double the amount the county’s Migration Ministry was initially bracing for. Spain has already granted 360,000 temporary work permits to illegal immigrants since April, Reuters reported.

The Spanish government framed the regularization applications as a solution to their labor shortage, but critics worry the program would enable mass naturalization, flooding the country with hundreds of thousands of migrants.

Done deal: Mass deportations from Europe will soon become reality✈️ pic.twitter.com/rQ66WpZL3P

— Charlie Weimers MEP 🇸🇪 (@weimers) June 17, 2026

While Spain works to embrace more migrants, Europe is continuing to ramp up its restriction efforts.

Many European countries have seen a surge in support for restrictionist immigration policies following the waves of mass migration that have afflicted the continent, particularly over the last decade. (RELATED: INGERSOLL: We Are Not Them. I’m Not Afraid To Say It)

A majority of Europeans surveyed from Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Sweden said that immigration to their respective countries has been too high over the last ten years, according to a YouGov survey from 2025. Of the countries mentioned, Germany and Spain were the most likely to say immigration rates have been too high, polling at 81% and 80% respectively. (RELATED: Governments In Europe Fighting Over Who Has To Take In More Immigrants)