In Spain’s greenhouses, migrant amnesty brings hope of better conditions

After seven years living as an undocumented migrant in Spain, ​doing day jobs and staying in shanty towns, Moroccan Abdelmoujoud Erra hopes a mass amnesty launched by the ‌leftist government may finally turn his fortunes around.

“Without documents you work for five euros ($5.80) an hour. With documents, you work legally, with more money – maybe seven or eight euros an hour,” said Erra, 27, in the southern Spanish province of Almería. Undocumented migrants there gather at roundabouts hoping ​to be hired to pick fruit and vegetables in Europe’s largest concentration of greenhouses.

He is among many undocumented migrants ​applying for the amnesty, which could benefit hundreds of thousands and will run through June.

The policy is ⁠a pillar of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s agenda to harness the economic benefits of migration for its ageing population, even ​as other countries tighten borders.

But it has enraged right-wing opposition parties. The People’s Party says it will saturate public services, while ​Vox has accused the government of seeking to replace Spanish natives.

Read the complete article at Reuters.