Far-Right Vox Party Spreads Misinformation About Moroccan Immigrants in Catalonia Election Campaign

Since the beginning of the campaign, the candidate of the far-right party Vox for the presidency of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Ignacio Garriga, has constantly mentioned the issue of the strong presence of Maghrebians, in this case Moroccans, as a source of insecurity and a threat to the Islamization of the country. To support his statements, he refers to the number of crimes allegedly committed by migrants, which he has subtracted from the total number of crimes recorded within the population. A way to distinguish the crimes committed by nationals and foreigners.

Speaking of the Islamization of the population, the party has published several messages on social networks, sowing confusion on the notions of Muslim, Arab or Islamist. These publications, considered as an incitement to hatred and radicalization of non-European migrants, have all been blocked, particularly on Twitter.

Furthermore, the Vox party also addresses the issue of unaccompanied minors (UAMs) who would benefit from more support and assistance from the state than the most disadvantaged Catalans. However, according to official figures, about 85% of the minors benefiting from public assistance are of Spanish nationality. The remaining 15% are refugees, migrants and UAMs.

According to some studies, only about 4% of the population in Catalonia consider immigration as a major concern. What matters most to them is independence, the economic situation and health.