The Association of Moroccan Workers and Immigrants in Spain (ATIM) has denounced what it calls «hypocritical demagoguery» in response to recent comments by the far-right party Vox regarding the mass expulsion of migrants. In a statement sent to Yabiladi on Friday, the NGO strongly rejected remarks made by Vox spokesperson Rocío de Meer. For several days, the political figure has faced backlash over her xenophobic and ambiguous comments. Speaking at a press conference at Vox's headquarters, she appeared to endorse a version of the «Great Replacement» theory in Spain. De Meer spoke of expelling eight million immigrants and their children in order to «survive as a people». Since then, Vox has scrambled to contain the fallout, even going as far as blaming the Spanish press for misrepresenting her words. Against this backdrop, ATIM emphasized the public and solemn nature of its response, accusing the party of «seeking media attention, stoking controversy, and provoking outrage—even violence». The NGO added that Vox «fails to consider the consequences» of its rhetoric, «blinded by its obsession with publicity and its strategy of cultivating rejection through stigmatization». «They are exploiting the frustration generated by a failing neoliberal system, manufacturing an enemy—even a fictitious one—and scapegoating migrants to deflect responsibility for this failure», ATIM continued. In equally forceful terms, the NGO pointed to the «ignorance» displayed by Vox members. «If they had any sense of history, they would recognize the disastrous consequences of the expulsion of the Moriscos between 1609 and 1613. The economic damage today would be just as severe», ATIM warned. «Our association rises today to oppose your empty, incoherent, and deceptive discourse, lacking substance and utterly incapable of proposing any real economic or social alternatives for the future», the statement continued. «Your outbursts, your racist slogans, your xenophobia, your sexism, your intolerance—they serve no purpose. Your fascist ambitions to eliminate everyone who is different from you or who disagrees with you are equally futile», it added. ATIM concluded by stating that Vox is not only an enemy of migrants, but «an enemy of Spain itself».
