Key facts
- Nearly one million unauthorized migrants have applied for legal status in Spain.
- The regularization program requires applicants to have lived in Spain for at least five months and have a clean criminal record.
- The Spanish government initially expected around 500,000 applications but received over 900,000 by mid-June.
- Around 360,000 applicants have already been granted provisional work and residence permits.
- Spain's government opposes the EU's new migration policies, citing concerns about return centers and proportionality.
- The EU recently finalized an overhaul of its migration system, favoring faster returns and stricter border procedures.
Spain is experiencing a significant surge in applications for legal status among its unauthorized migrant population, with over 900,000 individuals applying for a regularization program before its Tuesday deadline. The program, which offers renewable residence permits to those who have resided in Spain for at least five months and possess a clean criminal record, far exceeded the government's initial expectation of 500,000 applicants.
The legalization drive originated from a 2024 citizens' initiative supported by over 700,000 Spaniards, numerous humanitarian organizations, business groups, and the Catholic Church. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government approved the royal decree in April, providing a three-month window for applications.
Officials report that approximately 360,000 of the applicants have already received provisional work and residence permits. Sánchez has framed the measure as an acknowledgment of the contributions these individuals make to Spain's economy. However, the policy faces opposition from the center-right People's Party and the far-right Vox group, though a recent request to provisionally suspend the decree was rejected by the country's Supreme Court.
This mass legalization initiative places Madrid at odds with the prevailing migration policy favored in Brussels. The European Union recently concluded a comprehensive reform of its migration system, which emphasizes faster returns, more stringent border procedures, and the establishment of external return hubs for rejected asylum seekers. Several EU member states, including Denmark, Austria, Greece, Germany, and the Netherlands, are actively pushing for the swift implementation of these centers.
The Spanish government has voiced its dissent regarding the new EU policies, expressing concerns in a letter to the bloc's member countries about the legal, foreign relations, and operational challenges posed by the return centers, as well as the perceived lack of proportionality in certain measures. Spain advocates for EU migration rules that fully align with international and European Union law.