Why Spain is taking a new approach to immigration – and what the rest of Europe can learn from it

Amid an increasingly hardened European migration debate, Spain is charting a different course: prioritizing regularization, integration, and economic pragmatism over deterrence. In this guest contribution, Judith Kohlenberger explores why immigration is not a liability but a strategic asset — and why Europe’s future depends on a decisive shift in perspective.

This Policy Position was first published by Table Media on 03 February 2026.

Judith Kohlenberger heads the Research Institute for Migration and Refugee Research and Management (FORM) at WU Vienna. Most recent publication: “Migrationspanik” (Migration Panic) (2025).

^{Foto: CC Ian, Source: Unsplash}