Spain’s government has approved a major policy to grant legal status to around 500,000 undocumented migrants, allowing them to formally enter the workforce under a structured residency scheme.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the decision as both “an act of justice” and an economic necessity for the country.
In a message shared on social media, Sánchez said the policy aims to recognise “the reality of nearly half a million people who already form part of our everyday lives,” adding that migrants have played a key role in shaping modern Spain.
Under the new scheme, eligible applicants will be granted one-year renewable residence permits. To qualify, migrants must prove they have lived in Spain for at least five months and have no criminal record. Applications will be open from April 16 until the end of June.
The move is intended to address labour shortages in Spain’s ageing population and strengthen public services, according to the government.
However, the opposition People’s Party has strongly criticised the plan, arguing that it could encourage irregular migration and may be exploited by a larger number of applicants than the government estimates. The party has vowed to challenge the policy.
Government estimates suggest around 840,000 undocumented migrants currently live in Spain, many of them from Latin America, though critics believe the number of potential applicants could be closer to one million.
Supporters of the scheme, including some migrant groups and the Catholic Church, say it will improve living conditions, expand the legal workforce, and boost tax revenue.
Spain has previously implemented similar regularisation programmes, most notably in 2005 when more than half a million migrants were granted residency under a socialist administration.
