> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Catalonia Needs Migration Governance, Not More Arrivals - URL: https://barna.news/catalonia-needs-migration-governance-not-more-arrivals/ - Published: 2026-09-22T10:22:08.000Z - Updated: 2026-09-22T10:22:08.000Z - Author: Laia Serra - Tags: politics, Trending Now ## Migration Policy Lacks Central Strategy David Garrofé, a Catalan entrepreneur, argues in an opinion piece published today by VIA Empresa that Catalonia does not need more immigration, but rather a coherent system to govern it. He highlights that while successive regional governments, from Jordi Pujol to current President Salvador Illa, have invested in integration services, there is no unified strategy across departments responsible for housing, education, employment, language, and public services. ### No Central Authority for Migration Garrofé notes that Catalonia’s current approach fragments responsibility across multiple agencies, resulting in reactive management rather than proactive governance. Despite the 2010 Law on Welcome for Immigrants foreseeing a dedicated **Agency for Migration in Catalonia**, it has never been established, highlighting a gap between policy design and implementation. > "The question is not whether we need more or less immigration. The question is: who governs migration in Catalonia today? And the answer isn't clear." --- ## Economic Model Must Shape Migration The article stresses that migration should align with Catalonia’s economic goals. If the region aims to grow sectors like biotechnology, green energy, or artificial intelligence, its migration policy must prioritise skilled professionals. Conversely, reliance on low-wage, labour-intensive industries will require different workforce planning. Garrofé warns against treating migration as merely a social issue, stating it is fundamentally demographic, economic, territorial, and a matter of cohesion. ### Proposal: Catalan Integration Capacity Index (ICCI) To guide annual migration planning, Garrofé proposes creating an independent **Catalan Integration Capacity Index (ICCI)**. This would assess objective indicators such as: - Labor market needs by sector - Retirement projections - Affordable housing availability - School and healthcare capacity - Catalan language course supply - Water and infrastructure sustainability - Public service funding stability Based on this index, the government could publish a yearly **Catalan Catalogue of Strategic Professions**, directing recruitment and integration efforts efficiently. --- ## Call for Institutional Reform Garrofé advocates for structural change, including the creation of a new executive department, **Ministry of Demography, Talent, Immigration and Cohesion**, directly under the Presidency. This body would oversee a reactivated **Catalan Agency for Migration Governance** and a multi-stakeholder **Catalan Council for Migration Governance**, involving local authorities, businesses, unions, universities, and civil society. He also supports pre-arrival integration: forming partnerships with sending countries, offering vocational training linked to Catalan job markets, and beginning Catalan language instruction abroad so newcomers arrive with employment pathways and cultural familiarity already underway. > "Catalonia must recover reciprocity: we offer opportunity, but ask for commitment, to learn our language, respect our laws, and engage in civic life." --- *Reported by viaempresa.cat.* --- ### Related on Catalan.News - Illa: 'Catalonia is one people' - ERC says Illa lacks ‘national ambition’ - Catalan Gov Backs EU Language Expansion Link - Illa Warns of Democratic Fragility at Sant Boi Commemoration