Basque police to feed information into national deportation reports

In a July deal between the Ministry of the Interior and the Basque Government, the Ertzaintza will for the first time supply operational and contextual information to the Policía Nacional's reports used in deportation cases involving foreigners linked to crime. The agreement, approved by security council members Bingen Zupiria and Fernando Grande-Marlaska, keeps immigration competence and the actual execution of expulsions under state control.

The national police will continue drafting and processing the expulsions, but will now incorporate data from the regional force, which handles much of the local criminal activity. Technical work on how the information will be shared is still ongoing. The proposal sparked criticism from the Sindicato Unificado de Policía and Jupol, who argue it could split immigration management. The Basque Government is also pushing for a larger Ertzaintza workforce, with a recruitment drive for hundreds of new officers.