These workers constitute the majority workforce in sectors vital for the daily life of the population, including slaughterhouses, meat processing plants, construction companies, agriculture, urban cleaning services, hotels, and nursing homes. Although they often occupy low-wage positions, their presence is crucial to maintaining activity.
However, an increasing number of migrants are filling higher-income positions. Examples include dozens of doctors in health centers, engineers hired by local firms, and highly valued international researchers at the University of Lleida (UdL) such as Paul Christou (Cypriot) and Gustavo Slafer (Argentinian).
Linking immigration with crime constitutes an authentic fallacy.
Far-right groups successfully spread the message that many migrants come to commit crimes or take advantage of subsidies, a claim that ignores that crime is not linked to origin and that the vast majority contribute actively to society.
Another common argument is that the influx of migrants has collapsed public services. This assertion overlooks the fact that without the volume of foreign workers contributing to Social Security, many of whom arrived irregularly, the current pension system would likely be unviable.
The reality shows that migratory flow adapts to the economic climate: it was high during the boom, dropped during the crisis, and has rebounded strongly in the last five years. The main requirement for newcomers is compliance with social norms and the effort to learn the local language, which is key to social cohesion.
