Spain believes the newly-approved EU law on the repatriation of undocumented immigrants is "necessary" at a time when unemployment is on the rise in the country, a top official said Wednesday.
Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vegatold the press that "we are going to hire less immigrants" as the total job opportunities continue to decline.
Those undocumented immigrants in Spain will have to leave the country according to the new EU immigration law, known as the "Return Directive," and the Spanish government assures they will receive all their salaries before leaving for their home countries, de la Vega said.
The European Parliament approved the "Return Directive" on June18, ordering the expulsion of undocumented immigrants in Europe.
If they do not leave the bloc within a period of seven to 30 days, they may face up to 18 months in jail.
The law, which could come into force in 2010, has drawn widespread and strong criticism from Latin America.
According to Spain's official statistics, some 424,500 people lost their jobs during the one-year period starting June 2007, and the hardest hit sectors are the construction industry, agriculture and service industry, which provide jobs to the largest percentage of undocumented immigrants.
Source:Xinhua
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