En una Europa plagada de muros fronterizos, el gobierno socialista español aprobó este martes su anunciado plan de regularización masiva de inmigrantes a contramano de las políticas antinmigratorias que se extienden por la mayoría de los países de la UE.

El proyecto, según cálculos oficiales, podría beneficiar a medio millón de personas, entre ellas más de 42.000 argentinos que residirían en el país en forma irregular.

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Los datos oficiales fijan en 415.000 los argentinos radicados en suelo español, el 44% de los cuales tiene doble nacionalidad.

Pero un estudio divulgado hoy por el think tank español Funcas, dedicado a la investigación económica y social, aseguró que los argentinos registrados son 148.585. De ellos, 106.139 tienen su situación regularizada, mientras que otros 42.446 están sin documentos.

Dado que las cifras difieren de las oficiales, se estima que el número de argentinos beneficiados por la medida podría ser muy superior.

Según el estudio de Funcas, la argentina es la sexta nacionalidad de la región, detrás de las de Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Perú y Paraguay.

Qué busca el plan del gobierno español

Para facilitar su aplicación, el gobierno de Pedro Sánchez aprobó este martes el plan mediante un “real decreto”, que no precisa de ser sometido a votación en el Parlamento, donde el Ejecutivo no cuenta con mayoría.

La medida permitirá regularizar en torno a “medio millón de personas” que se encuentren en España desde hace al menos cinco meses. Deben haber llegado al país antes del 31 de diciembre de 2025 y carecer de antecedentes penales, afirmó la ministra de Migraciones, Elma Saiz, en la televisión pública.

El plan, aprobado este martes en el Consejo de Ministros, prevé que las tramitaciones se inicien a partir de abril y hasta el 30 de junio, para que los extranjeros puedan “trabajar en cualquier sector, en cualquier lugar del país”, detalló la ministra.

“Hoy es un día histórico para nuestro país. Estamos reforzando un modelo migratorio basado en derechos humanos, en integración y compatible con el crecimiento económico y con la cohesión social”, dijo Saiz posteriormente en rueda de prensa.

El gobierno español del socialista Pedro Sánchez es una excepción en materia migratoria dentro de la Unión Europea, en contraposición al endurecimiento de la política de muchos países del bloque, bajo la presión de la extrema derecha.

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“Somos un país que defiende firmemente un modelo migratorio legal, seguro, ordenado, pero también abierto y humano frente a los que abogan por cerrar nuestras fronteras”, dijo Sánchez recientemente.

Según el mandatario, “el 80% del crecimiento” económico de España en los últimos seis años y el 10% de los ingresos de la seguridad social del país se deben a la migración.

El desempleo en España cayó por debajo de la barrera del 10% en el cuarto trimestre de 2025. Una mayoría de los nuevos empleados son extranjeros, informó este martes el Instituto Nacional de Estadística.

En noviembre de 2024, Sánchez ya anunció una reforma del reglamento de extranjería para regularizar a 300.000 personas por año en el siguiente trienio, y paliar así el envejecimiento de la población en un país donde el número de nacimientos se redujo un 25,6% desde 2014, según datos oficiales.

España cuenta con una población de 49,4 millones de habitantes, de los cuales 7,1 millones son extranjeros.

Al 1 de enero de 2025 residían unos 840.000 inmigrantes irregulares, la gran mayoría de América Latina, según el centro de investigación económica y social Funcas.

La oposición responde: “La ilegalidad se premia”

La medida fue criticada por la derecha y la extrema derecha.

“En la España socialista, la ilegalidad se premia. La política migratoria de Sánchez es tan disparatada como la ferroviaria”, criticó en X Alberto Núñez Feijóo, el líder del Partido Popular (PP, derecha), el principal de oposición. Además, afirmó que el plan busca “desviar la atención” de la tragedia ferroviaria que dejó 45 fallecidos en el sur del país el 18 de enero.

“¡500.000 ilegales! El tirano Sánchez odia al pueblo español. Quiere sustituirlo. Por eso pretende promover el efecto llamada por decreto, para acelerar la invasión”, escribió de su lado en X Santiago Abascal, de Vox.

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La medida fue aplaudida por sectores que llevan años luchando por la regularización de migrantes, entre ellos la Iglesia católica, que la consideró “un acto de justicia social”.

La última regularización masiva en España ocurrió en 2005, bajo el gobierno del socialista José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.

(Con información de AFP)

Facing a rough political climate as his party aims to hold their House and Senate majorities in this year’s midterm elections, President Donald Trump on Tuesday kicks off what the White House says will be weekly stops in states with key ballot box showdowns.

It’s part of the president’s push to showcase he’s working to combat rising prices, a top issue on the minds of Americans. And as the Trump administration reels amid two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minnesota this month of U.S. citizens protesting aggressive tactics to deport millions of undocumented migrants, it’s also an effort to pivot to the economy from immigration.

Trump’s first stop is Iowa, a one-time Midwestern battleground turned red-leaning state the president carried by double digits in 2024 where Republicans are now playing defense as they defend open Senate and gubernatorial seats, as well as three competitive GOP-controlled House districts.

In suburban Des Moines, Trump will visit a local business, meet with lawmakers, and deliver an address on the economy.

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«The economy is good. It’s all good. Prices are coming way down, and we have a lot of very positive news,» Trump touted as he departed for Iowa.

And ahead of the trip, a White House official told Fox News Digital, «Inflation has cooled, economic growth is accelerating, and real wages are up for American workers.»

Deep concerns over inflation boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories at the ballot box in 2024, as they won back the White House and Senate and keep their House majority.

But Democrats say their decisive victories in November’s 2025 elections, and their overperformances in special elections and other ballot box showdowns last year, were fueled by their laser focus on affordability amid persistent inflation.

The president’s approval on the economy has consistently hovered in negative territory since last March, and has dragged down his overall approval ratings during his first year back in the White House.

Among the most recent national polls — a Wall Street Journal survey conducted earlier this month put Trump’s approval rating on the economy at 44%-54%, and he stood at 35%-56% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll in the field this past weekend.

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«Donald Trump has tanked the economy for working families, making the cost-of-living an inescapable hell for millions of Americans. Everyday Americans are drowning under the weight of rising costs, flat wages, high unemployment, and record layoffs — it’s no wonder they’re concerned about making ends meet,» Democratic National Committee Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer argued in a statement.

But the Wall Street Journal poll indicated that congressional Republicans had an 11-point advantage over their Democratic rivals when it came to which party was better equipped to handle the economy.

Iowa is friendly ground for Trump, who convincingly won the state in his two presidential victories and one re-election defeat.

President Donald Trump celebrates his victory in Iowa’s Republican presidential caucuses, at a campaign event in Des Moines on Jan. 15, 2024. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

But a memo from Democratic National Committee (DNC) Deputy Communications Director Abhi Rahman claimed, «However hard Trump tries to explain away his failing economy, it’s abundantly clear that Americans aren’t buying it, especially in Iowa, where Trump’s policies are raising costs for Iowans, devastating Iowa’s agricultural economy, and destroying thousands of jobs that working Iowans rely on.»

The White House disagrees, with the official arguing that «Iowans are better off with President Trump and Republican leadership,» noting that gas prices in the state «ranked the second lowest in the nation.»

And pointing to the various tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Trump’s domestic legislative achievement so far in his second term, the official said, «Iowans could see their wages rise up to $61,000 over the next four years.»

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The GOP, as it works to hold its congressional majorities, is dealing with a low propensity issue: MAGA voters who don’t always go to the polls when Trump’s name isn’t on the ballot.

But even though he’s not on the ballot this year, Trump pledged last week that he’ll be on the campaign trail «a lot» on behalf of fellow Republicans running in the midterms.

President Donald Trump gestures as he arrives to deliver remarks on the U.S. economy and affordability at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, Dec. 9, 2025. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Trump made stops last month and earlier this month in the key battleground states of Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Michigan to highlight his accomplishments on the economy.

And the weekly trips advertised by the White House are a big change from Trump’s first term, when the president didn’t start his campaign travel blitz until Labor Day.

Republican National Committee Chair Joe Gruters emphasized in a Fox News Digital interview earlier this month that «the President of the United States is our secret weapon… He’s laser focused.»

«We got to make sure we turn our voters out, and we got to make sure that we have people energized. And there’s nobody that can energize our base more than President Trump,» Gruters added.

And the White House official said that the president «has always been most in his element when he’s interacting with everyday Americans, and the President’s domestic travel will allow him to most effectively underscore how this Administration has and continues to deliver economic prosperity for the American people.»

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Democrats are just fine with Trump hitting the road.

«Trump has historically low approval ratings because he has put America last, sold out working families to hand out favors to billionaires, and made life unaffordable. Hitting the road will only remind Americans of his failures and force GOP candidates to tie themselves to his cratering presidency,» DNC chair Ken Martin argued in a statement to Fox News Digital.

French lawmakers have backed a bill banning social media for children under 15 in what one legislator likened to a «battle for free minds.»

The bill, which also bans mobile phones in high schools, passed late Monday by a 130–21 vote. The bill will now head to the Senate for discussion before a final vote.

«With this law, we are setting a clear boundary in society and saying social media is not harmless,» French lawmaker Laure Miller told the assembly.

«Our children are reading less, sleeping less, and comparing themselves to one another more,» she continued. «This is a battle for free minds.»

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Macron has pushed lawmakers to fast-track the legislation so that the ban could be in place in time for the start of the next academic year in September.

«Banning social media for those under 15: this is what scientists recommend, and this is what the French people are overwhelmingly calling for,» Macron said after the vote. «Because our children’s brains are not for sale — neither to American platforms nor to Chinese networks. Because their dreams must not be dictated by algorithms.»

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers a speech as he visits the Istres military air force base, southern France, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni, Pool)

The idea of setting a minimum age for use of the platforms has gained momentum across Europe.

The vote comes days after the British government said it is considering similar restrictions as it tightens rules to protect children from harmful online content and excessive screen time.

PROTECTING KIDS FROM AI CHATBOTS: WHAT THE GUARD ACT MEANS

Australia introduced a world-first ban on social media for children under 16 years old in December, restricting access to platforms such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

France’s health watchdog warned of links between heavy social media use and reduced self-esteem, as well as increased exposure to content tied to risky behaviors, including self-harm, drug use and suicide. (Nimito/Getty Images)

France’s health watchdog reports that one in two teenagers spends between two and five hours a day on a smartphone. A December report found that about 90% of children ages 12 to 17 use smartphones daily to access the internet, with 58% using them for social media.

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The agency warned of links between heavy social media use and reduced self-esteem, as well as increased exposure to content tied to risky behaviors, including self-harm, drug use and suicide.

Fox News Digital’s Bonny Chu and The Associated Press contributed to this report.