In recent years, migration has become an increasingly contentious issue within European politics. The surge in non-European people entering the European Union (EU), whether legally or not, has been met with xenophobic political narratives that link illegal migration to increased rates of smuggling and trafficking.
According to Eurostat data from 2023, migration patterns within and into the EU have seen significant shifts. While the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily disrupted global mobility, almost 2.4 million immigrants entered the EU in 2021. In the same year, around 150,000 people entered the EU irregularly. And while this number has increased since then (with around 264,000 irregular entries registered in 2023), the vast majority of non-EU citizens enter Europe through regular means.
This reality has not stopped certain political agents from using illegal migration and concerns around crime to stoke fears across populations. Spain, a key transiting port for drugs into Europe, and which shares a land border with Morocco in Ceuta and Melilla, is a stark example of these tensions.
Spain’s immigrant population has increased by 256% in the past two decades, representing about 17.2% of its population in 2023. Alongside economic challenges and a refugee crisis across the EU, this population change has meant the Spanish public is particularly vulnerable to xenophobic discourses on migrants. The rise of Vox – a far-right conservative political party – created a political outlet for these sentiments.
Founded in 2013, Vox emerged as a reaction to regional separatism and a perceived “weakening” of Spanish identity in places like the Canary Islands. They quickly began to publicly link irregular migration to increased drug smuggling and crime, claiming that a significant portion of drug-related crime is committed by non-white foreigners (like North African immigrants) in southern Spain’s coastal areas, where large drug seizures often occur. They advocate for the immediate deportation of all irregular immigrants as well as the militarisation of Spain’s borders.
Linking immigration to crime paid off
Vox’s narrative linking immigration with drugs served multiple political purposes. For one, it allowed the party to present itself as the only one willing to address the “real” issues facing Spain, suggesting that other parties are either in denial or too politically correct to take action. This narrative tapped into a wider European pattern, where populist and right-wing parties swelled their support through similar arguments, as well as emphasising concerns about immigration and its impact on crime and social stability. By associating rises in immigration and drug smuggling, Vox crafted a message that resonates with voters who believe to be threatened by the increased diversity. This approach fosters a sense of fear and emergency, urging citizens to rally around Vox’s strict immigration policies as a means of safeguarding social order and cultural integrity.
Although Spanish data on crime and immigration highlight that crime rates have actually decreased in the past decade, Vox’s populist messaging has been somewhat successful. In the November 2019 elections, they secured 15% of congressional seats, although this dropped to 9% in 2023. At the European level, they successfully secured six of the Spanish seats in the 2024 European Parliament elections after a strong campaign to end migration at the European level. Their rhetoric has also impacted other parties’ attitudes towards migrants, causing other parties, like the centre-right Partido Popular, to replicate their xenophobic discourses.
This has severe consequences: surveys have shown a deterioration of positive attitudes towards migrants, accelerated by worsening economic conditions for all Spanish citizens. Crucially, differences in attitudes towards migrants have widened depending on people’s ideologies, where those who identify as centre-right or further right hold more hostile views than others.
A 2024 study also highlighted how Spanish citizens often overestimate immigration numbers and exaggerate its negative impacts: it underscored that feelings of threat and misconceptions about immigrants’ socioeconomic characteristics drive people’s opposition to integration policies.
“Vox does not engage in policymaking; it engages in political communication,” Constanza Sánchez, Doctor of Law, told TalkingDrugs.
“Its propositions lack substance and are not based on evidence or data. Before the problem is even understood, they already present a solution. They fail to consider the dynamics of social exclusion,” she added.
Simple narratives for complex problems
By repeatedly associating immigrants with crime, Vox contributes to stigmatisation and discrimination of immigrant communities in Spain. This stigmatisation can increase the obstacles immigrants face, many of whom already face significant challenges in terms of employment, housing, and social integration. Negative beliefs fuelled by separatist political speeches make it harder for immigrants to find acceptance in Spanish society and to escape the cycle of poverty and marginalization that often drives people toward criminal activities.
The reality of Spain and Europe’s drug markets is complex, with various issues around wide drug availability, organised criminal actors, high purchasing power and synthetic drug production within the continent. While irregular immigrants play a role in these markets, their association with drugs is often over-simplified for political purposes.
Addressing the issue of irregular immigrants’ involvement in drug markets requires tackling underlying issues like economic inequality, high unemployment, and the lack of skill development for people to integrate the Spanish labour market. Efforts to curb drug trafficking and related crime in Spain does mean strengthening border security, particularly in high-risk areas, but these measures alone are unlikely to resolve the issue. The complexity of the solutions needed to resolve this issue is not helped by xenophobic discourses from political actors.
Moving forward, the need for good policy and social unity
Sánchez confirmed that Vox amplifies a narrative that has been in place for decades: a punitive prohibitionism resulting from political decisions to control substances primarily through criminal law. Policymakers and leaders from across the political spectrum must work to counter sensationalist narratives that target immigrant communities and instead promote policies that address the root causes of substance use and trafficking, prioritize public health approaches, and foster social inclusion to create equitable and sustainable solutions.
Moving forward, it is crucial to prioritise evidence-based approaches that address the root causes of issues such as social exclusion and organised crime. As Vox and others continue to promote fears on immigrants, it becomes even more important to ground public discourse in data, empathy, and a genuine commitment to justice. Only through informed and inclusive policymaking can Spain and other societies resist the polarising effects of political communication devoid of substance.
