Spain will not change its immigration policy and a new European Union (EU) directive will not affect the country's current laws, the Spanish Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
At a meeting with Latin American ambassadors Tuesday, State Secretary for Ibero-America Trinidad Jimenez and State Secretary for the EU Diego Lopez Garrido explained the terms of the European Return Directive and Spain's policy on immigration, the ministry said in a statement.
The Spanish have "special ties of affection and history and are united by common interests" with Latin America, the two officials said.
Referring to the alarm caused by the new rule in some countries, they said the directive, approved in the European Parliament on June 18, is aimed at expelling illegal immigrants and safeguarding their rights.
The measures of the directive will not affect current laws in force in Spain, said Jimenez, adding that all immigrants in Spain would continue to enjoy the same rights and obligations as the rest of the citizens.
"The directive doesn't harden the legislation (of Spain)," Lopez said. "It protects the rights of those (illegal) immigrants who will be repatriated."
Source:Xinhua
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