Left-wing government Spain approved a fast-track plan on Tuesday that would allow up to 500.000 undocumented migrants, mostly from Latin America and Africa, to apply for legal residency status.
The move represents one of the biggest legalizations of residence in Europe in recent years and runs counter to a wider trend in which many European governments are introducing stricter policies on migration.
How will the new rule be implemented?
Migration Minister Elma Saiz explained that the new measure applies to people who have been in Spain for at least five months ending on December 31, 2025 - but on the condition that they can prove they have no criminal record. Registration should be open from April to June 30, and if they get a permit, it would allow people to work in any sector and anywhere in the country.
Spain Migration Legal StatusMigrants in Barcelona / Photo: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
A request will be submitted for a one-year residence permit with the possibility of renewal, while children's permit would be issued for five years.
"Today is a historic day," said Minister Saiz and pointed out that with this move the government is strengthening the migration model based on human rights, integration and compatibility with economic growth and social cohesion.
Measure adopted by "royal decree"
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez he has repeatedly emphasized that migration is a key pillar of Spain's economic performance, stating that it is responsible for around 80 percent of economic growth over the past six years and that it has brought in approximately ten percent of income from social security contributions.
Spain's unemployment rate fell below 10 percent at the end of 2025, with foreigners making up the majority of new hires in the final quarter of last year.
The new plan was adopted by so-called "royal decree", which allowed the government to bypass parliament, in which it does not have a stable majority.
She was backed by the far-left Podemos party, whose leaders hailed the move as a moral response to anti-immigrant rhetoric, after the deal helped shore up Prime Minister Sánchez's fragile parliamentary position.
Spain Migration Legal StatusRefugee from Gambia / Photo: AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
What does the opposition say?
Alberto Núñez Feijo, leader of the center-right opposition Popular Party, said the government's plan was designed to "distract attention" from the Jan. 18 train crash that killed 45 people in the country's south.
"In socialist Spain, illegality is rewarded. Sanchez's migration policy is as reckless as his railway policy," he said.
The far-right party Vox announced the initiation of legal proceedings against the new government measure. The party's leadership announced that they will appeal to the Supreme Court as soon as the decree is published, with a request for the introduction of temporary measures to suspend its implementation.
Vox argues that bypassing parliament in a matter of such scope is unacceptable and accuses European institutions of "dangerous passivity", demanding a clear answer.
Praise, but also criticism
Spain currently has about 49,4 million inhabitants, including 7,1 million foreigners. Estimates by the Funkas Institute show that at the beginning of 2025, around 840.000 people lived in that country without a residence permit.
Pedro SanchezPrime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez / Photo: AP Photo/Omar Havana
The last major legalization of the residence of migrants was carried out in 2005, during the mandate of Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who belongs to the same party as the current Prime Minister Sanchez.
The ruling politicians' decision was welcomed by organizations that advocate for the rights of migrants, as well as the Roman Catholic Church, and they assessed the measure as an act of social justice. Critics, however, warn that such an approach sets Spain apart from the rest of Europe, where countries are turning to stricter migration controls.
Source: Deutsche Welle (DW)
