Spain will hold a constructive and positive EU stance on refugees

USPA NEWS - The Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, in a joint appearance with British Prime Minister David Cameron, called Friday for "magnificent" bilateral relations and called for the continuation of the UK in the European Union.

He also noted the need to continue with reforms to the recovery reaches "all Spaniards". In the press conference that offered Rajoy and Cameron after his interview, the Spanish chief executive said the asylum and immigration were among the main topics of the meeting, the second to have been held at La Moncloa Palace in Madrid. Rajoy said that over 10% of people working in Spain are foreigners without counting those with dual nationality and that the vast majority of them have been integrated and contribute to the progress of the country. "Therefore, we know what is the matter," he said.

The president added that Spain in this area has also suffered "situations and tragic moments, as we are currently seeing in the entire European Union," images "that move to any human being and that force us to make decisions and do with maximum effectiveness." In his view, this is the most important challenge that will face Europe in the coming years.

With regard to asylum, he said that "Europe can not renounce any way to grant asylum to those who are entitled to it under international law,“ as this is part of "our heritage as Europeans" and is "a must moral.“ The position of Spain in this field will be "constructive and positive, and all those who seek asylum and they will be entitled to attend, and will work with the other countries of the European Union in solving this problem," he said.

Rajoy distinguished asylum illegal immigration for economic reasons, which are often involved mafias who traffic in people. The treatment of this phenomenon, he said, "has to be global, and the European Union has to make decisions." That response should include, he said, a plan of economic cooperation with countries of origin and transit, the fight against mafias and return program as having Spain with several countries. The goal, he said, is that immigration is voluntary and legal and "never be made out of desperation."

Both leaders also discussed the economic situation in their countries and in the European Union. Regarding the Spanish economy, Rajoy summed up the change that has occurred since 2011 pointing out that three years ago is destroying jobs at a rate of 9% a year, whereas now jobs are created at a rate of 8%. He also mentioned some positive data recently known as the increase in tax revenue, retail sales and the arrival of tourists.

The Prime Minister defended the need for continued reform policies for recovery comes "all Spaniards" and 500,000 jobs could be created each year. "If you get that goal, and much improve the welfare and wealth in our country, because more people are working more resources for the state and, therefore, more public services," he said. At the meeting, moreover, David Cameron's proposals were discussed to reform the European Union as well as their willingness to hold a referendum on the continuation of the UK in it.

Rajoy said he would be "a step backward" and "unthinkable" that the UK was not part of it, and whises that "this process is started culminate in the reaffirmation of the commitment of the UK with the European Union and all British citizens." In addition, the Spanish president said that Cameron and agree on "what should be major objectives for Europe in the near future," to improve the competitiveness of the economies, deepening the internal market and achieve an agreement for a Free Trade with the United States.