ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: We begin in Spain, where a new immigration law is opening the door to a wave of illegal migrants. The influx of people is changing the ethnic make-up of the country and creating a bit of controversy. One of the most common routes for the migrants is across the Straits of Gibraltar. TV Galicia reports that some don't survive the journey.</s>UNIDENTIFIED TV GALICIA CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This is Tarifa, just one of the places along the southern coast of Spain where dozens of illegal immigrants arrive every week; they come in unstable boats like this one, which offer little protection against the dangers of the open sea. They cross the Straits of Gibraltar in search of a better life. But the journey sometimes comes to a tragic end even before they arrive. Many of the desperate immigrants are pregnant women who hope to give birth in Spain, thus providing their children with more opportunities than their native land can offer. It may take years on a salary of $300 a month to save the $3,000 needed to pay their guides. Despite the high costs, the number of immigrants has increased sharply since a new immigration law took effect this year, the bill allows 80,000 illegal workers to obtain residency permits. Government workers are struggling to cope with an avalanche of more than 250,000 applications.</s>ENRIQUE FERNANDEZ MIRANDA, IMMIGRATION OFFICIAL (through translator): This is an open dynamic process which must be resolved using the necessary requirements. We have been considering each case individually at great expense to the administration, but there can be no doubt that there are some applications which will be rejected and some people who will not be able to remain with us legally.</s>UNIDENTIFIED TV GALICIA CORRESPONDENT: Spain must take in millions of new immigrants during the next few decades to make up for a declining birth rate. The changes are rapidly turning Spain into a multi-ethnic society and a doorway to the new era. This report was prepared by Spain's TV Galicia for CNN WORLD REPORT.
New Immigration Law in Spain Opens Door For Wave of Illegal Migrants