Anti-migrant politics and local tension and what it means for you

Key rules

• Where risk sits: Unrest has hit a few places for a few days at a time, not whole regions.
• Judge locally: Check the specific town's crime data, council response and local community before deciding.
• Headlines: National headlines and polls tell you about politics, not about safety on your street.
• If targeted: Call 112 in an emergency and report hate incidents to the police.

The short answer

Political rhetoric and some local unrest are real, but they are concentrated in particular places. Your day-to-day risk depends on the town and neighbourhood you choose, not on national headlines. Spain has about 49 million people, more than 8 million of them born abroad, and its general crime rate is low by European standards.

What is happening in politics

The debate on immigration has hardened since 2023. Vox pushes for deportations and tighter restrictions. The PP has moved toward tougher language on irregular migration and on sharing out unaccompanied migrant minors between regions, while still defending migration for work. The government stresses legal routes, regularisation and cooperation with Morocco and Mauritania.

Two disputes drove much of the noise: the care of migrant minors in the Canary Islands, and the 2025 reform of the immigration rules. A popular petition for a mass regularisation also gained ground.

Polls put Vox well above its 2023 result, often in third place. Pollsters' figures differ, so look at the latest ones if you want a number.

Political heat is mostly words and votes. It does not by itself change how people treat you on your street.

Where tension has turned into incidents

The best-known case is Torre Pacheco, in Murcia, in July 2025. After a 68-year-old man was beaten, and the suspects were reported to be of North African origin, far-right groups called online for "hunts". Several nights of disturbances followed. Groups attacked Moroccan-owned shops and people. Police reinforcements restored calm within days, there were arrests, and prosecutors investigated hate crimes.

Other places have seen protests or disturbances:

• Hortaleza (Madrid) in 2019 and Piedrabuena (Castilla-La Mancha) in 2024, against centres for migrant minors.
• Towns in the Canary Islands, over reception centres.
• Jumilla and Alcalá de Henares in 2025.

There have also been racist online campaigns, hate speech and attacks on mosques or reception centres.

The pattern is the same each time: one place, a few days, then a police response. These events are not a sign of risk across a whole region.

How to judge the place you plan to live

Look at the town, not the headline. Check these:

1. Local crime and hate-crime data. Look at figures from the local police and the Interior Ministry, and at hate-crime reports.
2. The local foreign population. A town with a large, long-settled foreign community is a different situation from one where a reception centre is new and contested.
3. The council's response. Did the town hall condemn the violence and work with the police?
4. How long it lasted. A single weekend is different from months of repeated incidents.
5. Local people. Ask neighbours, other foreign residents and community groups what daily life is like.

Visit before you commit to a long lease. Spend a few evenings and a weekend there.

Practical choices

• If you are drawn to a place that has had unrest, that does not rule it out. Check whether things have settled and how the authorities acted.
• If you are targeted or threatened, call 112 in an emergency. You can report hate incidents to the police whatever your immigration status.
• Take political debate seriously as a signal about future rules, such as on residency and regularisation. Follow official changes rather than party statements.

The questions below cover the Torre Pacheco events, other affected places, polling and how to judge local risk.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in Torre Pacheco in 2025?

In July 2025, Torre Pacheco in Murcia had several nights of disturbances after a 68-year-old man was beaten and the suspects were reported to be of North African origin. Far-right groups called online for 'hunts', and Moroccan-owned shops and people were attacked. The Guardia Civil and police reinforcements restored calm within days, and arrests followed.

Which other places have seen anti-migrant protests?

Other places with anti-migrant protests or disturbances include Jumilla and Alcalá de Henares in 2025, and Piedrabuena in Castilla-La Mancha in 2024. Protests against reception centres for migrant minors also took place in Hortaleza in Madrid in 2019. Many other cases were hate speech or attacks on mosques and reception centres.

How much support does Vox have in the polls?

Since 2025, polls have often put Vox at roughly 15 to 20 percent of voting intention, in third place. That is above the 12% and 33 seats it won in July 2023. Pollsters publish different figures, so compare the CIS, the state polling institute, with private polls.

How can I judge the risk in the town where I want to live?

Look at local police and Interior Ministry crime data, hate-crime reports, the share of foreign residents and how the council responded to any incident. Also check how long an incident lasted. Most incidents are local and short, and Spain's general crime rate is low by European standards.