Ayuso to Vox: “They are treating immigrants like scum. What I defend is law and order”

The migration debate returns to the forefront and does so with all its harshness. The massive regularization approved by Pedro Sánchez’s Government, details of which have been revealed this week, such as applicants having to provide a criminal record certificate, will be the focus of Thursday’s debate in the Madrid Assembly.

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Vox opened the debate by getting back at what hurt them in the last plenary session, when spokesperson Isabel Pérez Moñino spoke about the supposed negative impact of migration on Madrid’s healthcare. “Last week you showed us what a wonderful person you are. You boasted that here, in your Madrid of no walls and where all accents fit, more than 700,000 undocumented immigrants have been attended to since you have been in power. You also insinuated that Vox wants to see people dying at the doors of hospitals and health centers,” she said. “This is false, indecent, and deserves an immediate correction.” The deputies experienced a déjà vu. Moñino repeated last week’s question to the president: Do you want to turn Madrid into the hospital of the world?

“I understand you haven’t recovered from the last plenary, but it is so, you will understand that you are treating immigrants like scum, plenary after plenary in this chamber. And always sowing suspicion, unease, guilt in every issue. When you cross paths with them on the street, what do you do, do you turn your face away?” the president responded. “What I defend is law and order, nothing more than that, organization, to know who comes, from where, what problems they bring, who can integrate, or not.”

And she delivered her verdict: “You are behaving like right-wing socialists. That is what is happening to you.” “You are always angry, among yourselves, with your partners, with the world.” And she continued: “I still think there is integration here, but there must be law, order, and equality before the law and opportunities.”

President Isabel Díaz Ayuso has announced she will appeal the royal decree, considering it a direct attack against her, although the regulation actually affects all of Spain. She argues that the influx of immigrants could overwhelm Madrid’s public services, something that never happened in previous regularizations under José María Aznar or José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Mar Espinar, spokesperson for the Socialist Group, reminded her of this during the conversation. “Your boycott shows that your policy is racist and that you govern with your back to the citizens,” she said, comparing her position to Vox, which criticizes Ayuso so much. “You want them cleaning your chalet, your penthouses, with a cap, but without rights, so tell me, what are your plans to include them in the labor market?” “Law and order,” the president repeated like a mantra.

“Ayuso talks about Latinos, talks about Hispanity, talks about the Madrid of all accents, but when it comes down to it, taking us all for fools, she imitates her admired Trump,” Espinar continued her attack, telling the president that she will be the one “wearing the cap” soon, considering that “even [Georgia] Meloni has abandoned the [Trump] ship.” As the socialist spokesperson spoke of a Spain that its citizens can feel “proud” of thanks to Sánchez’s anti-war stances, Ayuso accused her that, in reality, what the Prime Minister does is turn this country into “China’s gateway,” a “dictatorship” like Venezuela, Cuba, or Iran. “Since they have no principles, they might as well benefit those who have murdered or kidnapped Francisco Tomás and Valiente and Ortega Lara this very week, as well as make deals with the right-wing of Junts and the PNV, with China, with the ayatollah regime. What do they care!”

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According to Ayuso, “Sánchez is envious” of the Chinese communist regime, with its attacks on freedom of expression, repression of protesting citizens, nuclear race, and even the consequences of the now-defunct one-child policy. “That’s why he goes to China, to make those alliances,” she asserted. “They govern without parliament, govern without budgets, undemocratically, so there is no free press, no separation of powers.”

It seemed the immigration issue had been forgotten in this session, but no. “That’s where the massive regularization that you absolutely don’t care about comes in,” she continued. The electoral system “no longer suits you,” according to Ayuso, so the solution is to “move the voter rolls,” even though, at least in the 2027 national elections, these newly regularized migrants will not be able to vote. “If they are people who have been working here for years, of course they should be regularized. But where do they come from? How do they come?” she asked. “While in Madrid we look for employment, you look for eternal poverty.”

“Life treats you well, president.” Manuela Bergerot, spokesperson for Más Madrid, began like this: “From having the hope of owning a home to going for the third one in a legislature.” “Now your chief of staff puts on the Tecnocasa suit to get you your third little apartment,” she said before asking what her government plan was for the coming months.

―When you finish insulting me, I’ll tell you.

There were expressions and cheers from the Popular bench.

―You have to be a bad person to oppose migrants who already work and live in Spain being able to live better ―said Bergerot, while the right booed her.

She didn’t stop there. “You have to be shameless to blame migrants for the problems of Madrid’s public services,” Bergerot continued. “The reason we live worse in Madrid is the speculators, the reason is those who live off rent, the reason is those who hoard apartments, wealth, and power. They are the only ones who don’t integrate into society, who don’t contribute. The only dangerous minority is the rich. The ones who should be deported are the rich,” said Bergerot, referring to Quirón, vulture funds, and Ibex executives who pay minimum wages to collect million-dollar bonuses.

The Assembly president, Enrique Ossorio, called for silence amid the commotion that settled in the room as the Más Madrid spokesperson advanced in her speech. To conclude, he decided to make a request to Ayuso after it was announced that the Community of Madrid will award the Gold Medal to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.

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―Ask your friend if she’s going to keep the medal.