Spain begins the legalization of hundreds of thousands of migrants without residence permits

Contrary to the prevailing trend across much of Europe toward stricter policies, Spain is launching today a major program to legalize migrants without residence permits, potentially affecting “around half a million people” and capable of supporting the Spanish economy, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced.

“The Council of Ministers will approve today a royal decree to initiate the process of extraordinary legalization of individuals residing irregularly in our country,” the Spanish prime minister said in a letter to Spaniards posted on X, confirming the implementation of this initiative announced in January, which mainly concerns Latin American migrants.

“This legalization is above all an act of normalization (of residence status). This means recognizing the reality of approximately half a million people who are already part of our daily life,” the Spanish prime minister states in the letter.

A spokesperson for the Spanish government, Elma Saiz, clarified to the Cadena Ser radio network that the process will begin this week and will be completed on June 30.

Justifying this extensive program, Pedro Sánchez cites “a need” in response to the aging of the Spanish population and to support the Spanish economy, the fourth largest in the eurozone and one of the most dynamic in Europe today.

“We understand that migration creates problems. It would be irresponsible to deny it,” he admits, adding however that “migration is a reality that must be managed responsibly, fairly integrated, and turned into shared prosperity.”

“It is a regularization process such as we have known during most of the more than 40 years of democracy in our country, including under the governance of the Popular Party,” Pedro Sánchez clarified during a press conference in Beijing, where he is on an official visit.

The Sánchez government is adopting a policy of reception, standing as an exception to the tightening trend in migration policy across the European Union.

Closing

To facilitate the implementation of the program, Pedro Sánchez’s government will adopt a “royal decree,” as provided by the Constitution, which can then be published in the Official Gazette without passing through Parliament, where the government does not hold a majority.

The government program follows a popular initiative accompanied by 600,000 signatures and supported by 900 organizations calling for the extraordinary regularization of the residence status of all migrants without permits in Spain.

Spain, along with Italy and Greece, is a gateway for migrants into Europe, mainly via the Canary Islands archipelago.