Spain Judges Effects of Blanket Amnesty for Immigrants

from National Public Radio

The status of illegal immigrants may be stirring fierce debate in the United States, but in Spain hundreds of thousands of immigrants are getting used to life on the "right" side of the law, after last year's blanket amnesty. While critics say the amnesty has produced a "magnet effect" -- stressing that Spain now struggles to deal with a surge of African boat people -- the government points out that the new legal workers have contributed hundreds of millions of euros to the state treasury and pension system. Jerome Socolovsky reports.

Broadcast Dates

• All Things Considered, April 14, 2006