Spain: EU Court Ruling Can't Revoke Migrant Permits, Government Says

The Spanish government has assured more than one million migrants that their residency permits are safe, even if the European Union’s top court later rules against the country’s mass regularization process. On the same day Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez presented a new integration plan, Spain’s Supreme Court asked all parties whether it should refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). The court wants to know if the government’s emergency regularization of migrants violates EU directives. But the government is confident. “The law was written strictly to be compatible with EU law,” said sources from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. The ministry has until Friday, July 3, to respond. It is working with the State Attorney’s Office to clarify the issues raised. After that, the Supreme Court will decide whether to send the question to the CJEU. Even if the EU court finds a problem, government sources say it will be “practically impossible” to revoke permits already granted. The regularization gives a residence and work permit valid only in Spain. By the time any ruling comes, all applications will have been processed and rights recognized. The Supreme Court’s move follows appeals from the regions of Aragon and Valencia. The court previously rejected a request from Madrid to suspend the process, saying there was no proof the regularization would collapse public services. The current decision was made by a panel of three conservative judges. Two of them had earlier argued for suspending the process and sending the case to the EU court, but they were outvoted.