Focus on Spain immigration and Spain law: Previously, the Spanish Penal Code limited crimes to those involving amounts over 400 Euros. However, the new Penal Code has eliminated this limit; now, regardless of how small the value of the theft or robbery is, it will be considered a crime.
The Spanish government has passed the new draft Penal Code, which stipulates that such thefts will be subject to imprisonment of 6 to 18 months.
In the amended draft Penal Code, there is a clause stating that if there are mitigating circumstances to consider, "such as the low value of the stolen items or the economic situation of the victim," then the judge may impose a fine of 1-3 months, with the penalty ranging from a minimum of 180 Euros to a maximum of 36,000 Euros.
Spain's "Publico" newspaper interviewed sources in the Ministry of Justice, who confirmed this reform passed by the government, which treats even small-value thefts as crimes, regardless of the amount. Consequently, a 1- or 2-month prison sentence could cause unfair situations. For example, if an 18-year-old boy steals a CD from a store, he will be convicted. Once he has a criminal record, he will no longer be able to apply for any civil service positions.
The same judicial source said that such petty crimes have increased significantly in recent months; they are often committed by drug addicts or poor people who cannot afford to buy things.