Spain's immigrant legalisation drive gets 1 million applications: Details

Far above its initial estimate of 500,000, the move to regularise undocumented immigrants has drawn nearly 1 million applications

Spain’s move to legalise undocumented immigrants has received nearly 1 million applications, far exceeding the government’s original estimate of 500,000 beneficiaries, as the country seeks to bring more foreign workers into the formal economy.

 

The temporary programme, announced in January and opened for applications in April, aims to provide legal status to immigrants living and working in Spain without authorisation. The application window closed on June 30, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Under the scheme, eligible immigrants can receive a one-year renewable residence permit if they can prove they have lived in Spain for at least five months and have no criminal record.

 

The Spanish government has argued that regularising the status of people already contributing to the economy will allow them to work legally, pay taxes and access formal employment opportunities.

 

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the move as “an act of justice and a necessity”, saying people already living and working in Spain should be able to do so “under equal conditions”, according to AP.

 

Applications far exceed initial expectations

The Spanish government had estimated that around 500,000 undocumented immigrants could benefit from the programme. However, by mid-June, authorities had received more than 900,000 applications.

 

Immigration experts and analysts expect the final number of applicants to cross 1 million once all submissions are counted, AP reported.

 

By June 12, around 360,000 applications had reportedly been processed, with successful applicants expected to receive temporary residence and work permits. Spain’s administration has three months to complete processing of applications submitted before the June 30 deadline.

 

The large response highlights the scale of undocumented migration in Spain and the role foreign workers play in the country’s labour market.

 

Colombians form the largest applicant group

Colombian nationals accounted for the largest share of applications, making up around 30 per cent of total applicants, according to Spanish government data cited by AP.

 

Spain is home to a significant Colombian-origin population, with more than 980,000 Colombian-born residents living in the country, according to the National Statistics Institute.

 

Other major applicant groups included:

 

Moroccan nationals: 14 per cent

 

Venezuelan nationals: 10 per cent

 

Peruvian nationals: 9 per cent

 

Immigrants from Latin America and Africa are particularly important to sectors such as agriculture, tourism and services, where Spain relies heavily on foreign workers.

 

Why Spain is taking this approach

 

The legalisation programme comes at a time when several countries have tightened immigration controls and increased deportation efforts.

 

Spain’s approach is different from stricter policies being seen in parts of the European Union and the United States, where governments have focused more on enforcement measures, AP reported.

 

Supporters of the Spanish programme argue that bringing undocumented workers into the legal system can strengthen the economy by increasing tax contributions and reducing informal employment.

 

However, the policy has also triggered debate within Spain, with critics questioning whether repeated legalisation programmes could encourage further irregular migration.

 

Immigrants make up a fifth of Spain’s population

Foreign-born residents now represent a significant part of Spain’s population. Around 10 million people in the country, which has a population of about 50 million, were born outside Spain, meaning roughly one in five residents is foreign-born, according to AP.

 

Many immigrants have arrived from countries including Colombia, Venezuela and Morocco, often driven by economic opportunities, political instability or security concerns in their home countries.

 

Spain’s ageing population and labour shortages have also increased demand for migrant workers in several industries.

 

Sixth large-scale legalisation programme

 

This is not Spain’s first attempt to regularise undocumented immigrants. The country has previously carried out six large-scale legalisation programmes.

 

Earlier initiatives were introduced during the government of former Socialist Prime Minister Felipe González from 1986 onwards. Conservative leader José María Aznar also oversaw two such measures during the 2000s.

 

The previous major programme in 2005 resulted in the legalisation of around 576,500 immigrants.

 

The latest scheme, with applications already approaching the 1 million mark, is expected to become one of Spain’s largest immigration regularisation efforts and could reshape the country’s workforce by bringing more foreign residents into the formal economy.