The agreement reached between the Popular Party and Vox for the formation of the Government in Extremadura includes the withdrawal of subsidies to organizations that work with irregular immigration, a measure that, according to Vox’s negotiators, will be applied without distinction, also to entities linked to the Church.
The pact contemplates eliminating aid to NGOs that assist irregular immigrants
According to El País, the agreement expressly states that public funds will not be allocated to organizations that carry out activities related to illegal immigration. In this regard, one of the negotiators, José María Figaredo, stated that the measure will affect “all those that collaborate [with illegal immigration]”.
For his part, Carlos H. Quero emphasized that the criterion will not depend on the type of organization, but on its activity: “Regardless of what their confession is. The objective is not who they pray to, but the effect they are causing on Extremaduran society”.
Possible impact on entities linked to the Church
During the interview, Vox representatives acknowledged that this decision could affect Catholic Church organizations that work on welcoming immigrants. When asked about entities like Cáritas, which receive public funding, Quero indicated: “We value the Church’s social action, but we cannot accept that taxpayers’ money goes to promote invasion and mass migration”.
Figaredo added that the measure will be applied generally: “To those of the Church or those of the Socialist Party”, referring to any entity that participates in programs linked to irregular immigration.
Review of agreements and public aid
The agreement provides for the review of existing agreements between the Junta de Extremadura and social organizations funded with public funds. Although specific mechanisms have not been detailed, the negotiators indicated that the objective is to eliminate any institutional support for this type of activities.
In this context, Quero insisted that the measure responds to a general line of the pact: “The objective is not who they pray to, but the effect they are causing”, reiterating that the criterion will be the activity developed by each entity.
Part of a broader block of measures on immigration
The withdrawal of subsidies to NGOs is part of a set of measures agreed upon in migration matters. Among them, changes in access to social aid and the establishment of criteria linked to rootedness are included.
In relation to these policies, Figaredo pointed out that “the Spaniard without a home, who pays his taxes, must be a beneficiary of social aid”, while Quero explained that the objective is to avoid what they consider a “pull effect”.
The development of these measures will depend on their regulatory application and their adequacy to the current legal framework.