Spain’s government unveiled a sweeping initiative Wednesday to confer legal residency on up to 500,000 undocumented migrants, framing the move as a cornerstone of a human rights-driven migration framework that bucks hardening anti-immigration stances across Europe and the United States.
The policy, set to open applications from April 1 to June 30, targets individuals who entered the country before December 31, 2025, and can demonstrate at least five months of residency without a criminal record, granting them one-year permits for work in any sector nationwide.
Immigration Minister Elma Saiz heralded the announcement as transformative during a press conference, stating: “Today is a historic day for our country. We are strengthening a migration model based on human rights, integration, coexistence, and compatibility with economic growth and social cohesion.”
She emphasized its practicality, adding that the measure is “necessary to respond to a reality that exists on our streets” and would bolster Spain’s economy.
The prime minister’s office described the regularization as enabling a “dignified” life for migrants, part of a broader effort projected to legalize up to 900,000 over three years, building on reforms initiated in May 2025.
Economic think tank Funcas pegs Spain’s undocumented population at 840,000 as of early 2025, an eightfold increase since 2017, with around 760,000 hailing from Latin America—primarily Colombia (290,000), Peru (nearly 110,000), and Honduras (90,000).
The plan echoes past mass regularizations in Spain, including over 576,000 under former Prime Minister José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero two decades ago, and aligns with calls from the central bank and United Nations for 300,000 annual migrant workers to sustain the welfare system.
It stands in stark contrast to rhetoric from US President Donald Trump, who recently decried Europe’s migration policies as leading to an “invasion” of “illegal aliens” and rendering some areas “unrecognizable.”
Advocates argue the approach curbs exploitation in the shadow economy, while critics fear it could strain resources amid ongoing debates over integration.
