Key facts
- Nearly 1.2 million undocumented migrants applied for legal status in Spain.
- The application window for the scheme closed on June 30.
- More than 600,000 applications are currently being processed.
- The majority of applicants are from Latin America, with Colombia being the largest single nationality.
- Applicants must demonstrate a clean criminal record and have resided in Spain for at least five months before January 1.
Spain's government has received nearly 1.2 million applications for a migrant regularisation scheme, significantly exceeding initial forecasts. The plan, launched by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in April, aimed to address labor shortages in sectors like construction and defied a broader European trend of tightening immigration measures.
The final figures released on Thursday show a total of 1,174,978 applications were submitted between mid-April and the June 30 deadline. More than 600,000 of these are already undergoing processing, according to Secretary of State for Migration Pilar Cancela.
Latin American nationalities constituted the largest group of applicants, accounting for 67% of the total, with Colombia alone representing 25.9%. African nationalities followed with 22.9% of submissions. After Colombia, Morocco, Venezuela, and Peru were the most represented countries.
The majority of applicants were young, with eight out of 10 under the age of 45. Males comprised 57% of the total applicants, compared to 43% for females. To qualify, applicants must prove a clean criminal record and have spent at least five consecutive months in Spain before January 1.
Spanish business leaders have welcomed the initiative, while conservative and far-right opposition parties have criticized the policy, arguing it will encourage further irregular immigration.