Key facts
- Over 1 million undocumented migrants applied for legal status in Spain.
- The application period for Spain's immigration amnesty scheme closed on Tuesday.
- Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated the high number of applications demonstrates the program's necessity.
- Applicants must prove a clean criminal record and at least five months residency before January 1.
- The government aims to offer migrants legal status and future opportunities.
Over one million undocumented migrants in Spain have applied for legal status under a government amnesty scheme, a figure significantly higher than the 500,000 initially predicted. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the milestone on Tuesday, the final day for submissions, highlighting the program's necessity for Spain's economy, welfare state, and pensions amidst an aging population.
Sánchez has positioned Spain as a proponent of more open immigration policies, contrasting with a broader European trend towards stricter measures driven by the rise of far-right parties. He emphasized that granting legal status respects human rights and benefits the country by integrating migrants into the formal economy, allowing them to pay contributions and preventing exploitation by unscrupulous employers.
Applicants must meet specific criteria, including a clean criminal record and having resided in Spain for at least five consecutive months before January 1. Authorities have three months to process the applications and decide on work and residence permits, which will be valid only within Spain. Migrants like Juana Hernandez from Cuba and Mohamed from Morocco shared their positive experiences with the process, seeing it as a significant opportunity for employment and stability.
While Spanish business leaders have welcomed the regularisation drive, conservative and far-right opposition parties have criticized the policy, claiming it will encourage further irregular immigration. Sánchez countered these criticisms by accusing the right of fueling fear and xenophobic discourse.