Spain is launching a large-scale migrant regularization program

Photo: Harrison Fitts / Unsplash

What happened

The Spanish government is launching its largest migrant regularization program in the past 20 years. Preliminary estimates suggest that around 500,000 people could obtain legal status.

How it will work

The program is aimed at people who are already in Spain. To qualify for a residence permit, applicants must:

• Have lived in Spain for at least five months (as of 31 December 2025).
• Have no criminal record.
• Submit an application between April and June 2026.

Approved applicants will receive the right to live and work in Spain for one year, with the option to renew it later.

Context and key figures

Spain’s situation stands out against the broader European trend toward stricter migration policies. Madrid is opting for legalization for economic reasons. With GDP growth of around 3% and unemployment falling below 10% for the first time since 2008, the authorities view migrants as a resource for the social security system.

According to the Funcas think tank, the number of undocumented migrants in Spain has increased eightfold—from 107,000 in 2017 to nearly 838,000 in 2025. Most of this inflow comes from citizens of Colombia, Peru, and Honduras.

Political divide

The decision will be approved by royal decree, allowing the government to bypass lengthy parliamentary debate and voting. This has triggered strong reactions from the opposition:

• People’s Party: Leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo argues that mass legalization will create a “pull factor,” encouraging new waves of illegal migration.
• Vox: Right-wing representatives called the initiative a blow to national identity and vowed to challenge the decree in the Supreme Court.
• The left: Podemos and the Socialists describe the move as historic, noting that around 700,000 people had previously signed petitions supporting the measure, which for years failed to pass parliamentary hurdles.

Spain’s last large-scale legalization took place in 2005. The current procedure will be the first such initiative in two decades.

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Source: BBC

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