National
Spanish Cabinet approves immigrant return plan
By h.b.
Jul 20, 2008 - 11:39 AM

More than 100,000 non-EU immigrants, most of them from Morocco, Ecuador and Colombia, could take advantage of the Spanish government’s voluntary return plan, and go back to their countries of origin.

If they chose to do so, they can collect 40% of the total unemployment benefit they are entitled to after working here in Spain, before they go, and then they will be paid the remaining 60% after they have been back in their country for a month. To qualify for the scheme they have to give an undertaking not to return here for three years.

Details of the scheme were given on Friday, after the cabinet meeting, by the Deputy Prime Minister, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, who said that Spain had social security agreements in place with 19 non-EU countries in total. She described the policy as ‘just and voluntary’ which would benefit the worker and both countries involved.