Spain has approved a plan to grant legal status to around 500,000 undocumented migrants, a move the government says is aimed at integrating them into the formal workforce and addressing labour shortages, reports the BBC.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the decision as both “an act of justice” and an economic necessity. In a message shared with the public on social media, he said the initiative recognises the reality of nearly half a million people who are already part of everyday life in Spain.
Under the scheme, eligible applicants will receive a one-year residence permit that can be renewed. To qualify, migrants must demonstrate that they have lived in Spain for at least five months and have no criminal record.
Applications are open from April 16 until the end of June. The government argues that the measure will support an ageing population and help sustain public services and economic activity. Sánchez said migrants have contributed to building “a rich, open and diverse Spain” and remain essential to its future.
Spain has an estimated 840,000 undocumented migrants, according to the Funcas think tank, with the majority coming from Latin America.
Some migrants have welcomed the move, saying it could improve access to stable employment and better living conditions while increasing tax revenues and expanding the legal workforce available to employers.
However, the plan has drawn criticism from the conservative opposition People’s Party (PP), which has vowed to try to block it. The party argues that the policy rewards irregular migration and could encourage further arrivals, and claims that as many as one million people could ultimately apply.
The Catholic Church has expressed support for the initiative, offering a contrasting view to the opposition. The policy comes at a time when several European countries are tightening immigration controls.
Spain itself has carried out similar regularisation programmes in the past, including a 2005 measure under a Socialist government that granted residency to 577,000 migrants.
