Today, Tuesday April 21st, the Socialist Party (PSOE) in Torrevieja publicly demanded the “immediate resignation” of Gitte Lund Thomsen, the Councillor for International Residents, for disseminating false information regarding the extraordinary regularisation procedure for individuals with irregular immigration status in Spain. The Socialists also emphasised the bigoted messages that the Popular Party councillor, who is of Danish descent, had previously posted about the Chinese population.
The socialist spokesperson, Bárbara Soler, has also posted a video on her social media accounts that includes the specifics of these demonstrations, which have elicited “a notable social outrage” and have been criticised in English-speaking media, as per the socialists.
In her statements, the councilwoman states, among other things, that the sole prerequisite for a foreigner to legalise their status is to have resided in Spain for five months. However, this is only one of the conditions of the process. She also compares the regularisation process she considers “decided by a minority government” to events such as the 2019 Vega Baja DANA storm, the conflict in Ukraine, and the Covid pandemic. Her statements are made in the context of the daily, extensive lines of migrants at a variety of municipal offices and advisory services, who are attempting to obtain and submit the requisite documentation to establish their status in Spain. This phenomenon is also occurring in other major cities throughout the country.
In the Census and Statistics department, certain residents are dedicating the entire night prior to the office’s opening to finalising their documentation. Torrevieja’s 112,000 documented residents are of foreign origin, with over 50% of them hailing from countries outside the European Union. The Ukrainian (10,074), Russian (5,746), Moroccan, and Venezuelan communities are particularly noteworthy, representing up to 120 nationalities.
Particularly severe
The opposition to the PP-led government regards it as “particularly grave” that a public representative, whose institutional responsibility is to promote the integration and support of the international population, utilises her position to disseminate messages that encourage the rejection of specific groups and the spread of misinformation. This is made even more severe by the fact that the councilwoman is of foreign descent, which further exacerbates the irresponsibility and inconsistency of her statements.
The Socialist Municipal Group condemns the councillor’s comparison of the regularisation process to events such as the pandemic, the DANA storm, and other catastrophes, describing these statements as “inadmissible, irresponsible, and deeply offensive.”
“Torrevieja is a city that has flourished and developed as a result of the contributions of thousands of individuals from various countries. It is a city that is deeply multicultural, diverse, and open.” According to socialist sources, “coexistence, respect, and integration have been fundamental pillars of that growth.”
It is neither ubiquitous nor automatic.
The Socialists emphasise that the extraordinary regularisation process is not an automatic or generalised process, but rather a mechanism with specific requirements that is intended for individuals who were already in Spain before 2026, can demonstrate their continuous stay, have no criminal record, and do not pose a threat to public order. They also clarify that this regularisation does not grant citizenship, political rights (such as voting in general or regional elections), or the ability to run for public office, contrary to the rumours that are circulating. Its objective is distinct: to formalise an existing situation.
They emphasise that these processes, which have been implemented by political parties of all stripes, simultaneously enhance public revenue and social security contributions while combating the clandestine economy. The formal system reduces marginalisation and exclusion, which in turn reduces social conflicts, by integrating these undocumented individuals. Bárbara Soler, the Socialist spokesperson, stated, “All of this is based on data from previous regularisation processes; these are not hypotheses…”
A greater proportion
This process will have a more visible impact in Torrevieja, one of the municipalities with the highest percentage of foreign population in Spain, particularly in sectors such as hospitality, construction, and care, where there is a significant presence of the underground economy.
The PSOE maintains that the councilwoman’s assertions “are not only inaccurate, but also contribute to the deterioration of coexistence and the generation of unjustified social alarm in a city that has historically been a model of integration.”
“It is intolerable that those who are responsible for fostering cultural coexistence are instead promoting misinformation and rejection.” Soler reiterated that Torrevieja requires public representatives who are capable of accurately representing its diversity.
The councilwoman, who is highly active on social media and consistently expresses her opinions in her own voice, has been required to expunge her posts on multiple occasions at the city council’s recommendation, despite her dedication to the community of foreign residents, including both EU citizens and British nationals. This time, she removed the post regarding the queues. Óscar Urtasun, a council member from the Social Welfare department of the PP governance team, has expressed his support for the regularisation process, despite the logistical challenges that are involved.
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