Migration in Spain from Aznar to Zapatero: A Real Change of Direction?

Spain is considered a new immigration country whereby 7% of its 43 millions inhabitants are immigrants. While this number does not include illegal immigrants because of the difficulty in exacting an accurate number, estimates suggest about 1.5 million of people are non-documented immigrants (43% of the total). It was with Aznar's administration (1996-2004) that the Spanish government implemented a new migration policy that has led to a securitization of migration with a very strict migration law thus contributing to the maintenance of 'fortress Europe'. With the governmental change in March 2004, expectations have grown about a new migration policy that is more flexible and without criminalization of migrants. Zapatero's administration has begun to formalize the status of 'illegal people' staying in Spain but it is just the first step in managing a very problematic situation. The main aim of this paper is compare the two governments' attitude and understandings about migration and what the effects have been of these at the European and international levels addressing the question: can we speak of a real change of direction in the migration policy of Spain? ..PAT.-Conference Proceeding [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]