Spanish Minister of Inclusion Elma Saiz Meets Business Leaders to Launch Tent España Steering Committee

Madrid, January 28, 2026 – The Spanish Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, met today with senior leaders from seven major Spanish employers – including Alsea, Amazon, Ferrer, Pfizer, Randstad, and Sanofi Spain – as well as senior representatives of Tent España to mark the official launch of its Steering Committee, a new business advisory body created within Tent España to help scale refugee hiring across Spain.

Launched two years ago, Tent España is a network of more than 50 major companies committed to supporting the labor market integration of refugees and asylum seekers. The member companies forming this newly created Steering Committee will help shape Tent España’s strategy, strengthen public-private dialogue and accelerate refugee employment at scale. 

The launch comes as the Spanish government announced this week it would be regularizing approximately 500,000 migrants that already live in Spain, at a pivotal moment for Spain’s labor market. While Spain’s economy is among the fastest-growing in Europe – with GDP growth of 2.9% in 2025 – many companies continue to face persistent talent shortages. At the same time, refugees represent an underutilized talent pool, despite foreign workers already accounting for 14.1% of Social Security contributors and having contributed an estimated 25% of Spain’s GDP per capita growth between 2022 and 2024.

“Spain’s economic strength and social cohesion depend also on our ability to ensure that everyone has access to decent work,” said Elma Saiz, Minister of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration. “Labor inclusion is one of the most effective paths to integration. By working closely with the over 50 leading companies in the Tent España network, we can tackle barriers, respond to labor market needs and deliver tangible benefits for refugees, businesses and the economy.” 

The Steering Committee is a consultative body within Tent España. Its role is to advise on regional organizational strategy, identify practical solutions to hiring and integration challenges, and act as a reference point for the wider business community. It will also interface with the Spanish government, sharing best practices and challenges to shape policy. Tent España already formalized its relationship with the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, through the signing of a General Protocol of Actions in 2023. 

“For companies, mentoring and hiring refugees is not philanthropy, but a strategic approach to strengthening our commitment to diversity and inclusion and, ultimately, to attracting high-value talent,” said Raquel Tapia, General Manager of Sanofi Spain, a member of the Executive Committee and host of the inaugural meeting held at the company’s offices in Madrid.

During the meeting, participants also heard key findings from a new survey conducted by More in Common España in collaboration with Tent España. The survey – based on more than 2,500 interviews conducted in November 2025 – shows strong public backing for business leadership, with 73% of Spaniards viewing the hiring of refugees positively as a pathway to integration (while only 15% do not). 

“After two years of building momentum with more than 50 member companies, the creation of the Steering Committee signals our intention to scale up efforts,” said Amaia Elizalde, Director of Tent España. “Refugee employment is a win-win: companies access talent in a tight labor market while supporting integration in a way that benefits the whole economy. I am proud to launch this Committee and ready to turn opportunity into even more action in Spain, at speed and at scale.”

Tent España is the national coalition of the Tent Partnership for Refugees, founded in 2016 by Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO and founder of Chobani, and operates in ten other countries across Europe and the Americas.