Government To Legalise Half A Million Undocumented Migrants

Spain’s left-wing coalition government have this week approved an extraordinary plan to grant legal status to illegal migrants, marking a different path to the tougher migration policies elsewhere in Europe.

There are an estimated 500,000 undocumented migrants who will benefit from the measure, according to the Minister of Social Security, Migration and Inclusion, Elma Saiz.

Speaking to public broadcaster RTVE, Saiz said those covered by the measure would be allowed to work ‘in any sector, in any part of the country’, underlining what she described as ‘the positive impact’ of migration.

‘We are talking about estimations, probably more or less the figures may be around half a million people,’ she said, adding that the move was aimed at ‘recognising and dignifying’ people already living in Spain.

Ministry sources said the regularisation would apply to migrants who have been resident in Spain for at least five months and who submitted applications for international protection before 31 December 2025.

The announcement prompted an immediate backlash from the center-right People’s Party (PP) and right-wing nationalist VOX. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo strongly criticized the move on social media, despite previously siding with the government on pro-mass immigration policies.

VOX leader, Santiago Abascal reacted even more sharply. “500,000 illegals! The tyrant Sánchez hates the Spanish people. He wants to replace them. That’s why he intends to create a pull factor by decree, to accelerate the invasion,” he wrote. “This must be stopped. Repatriations, deportations, and remigration,” he added.

The measure will be intorduced by Royal Decree which does not require parliamentary approval, a key factor given that the Socialist coalition government does not command a majority in the Spanish parliament.

Spain remains one of the main entry points for migrants arriving in Europe, with tens of thousands reaching the Canary Islands, located off the northwestern coast of Africa.

However, irregular arrivals fell by more than 40% in 2025, largely due to a significant reduction in crossings along the dangerous Atlantic route from west Africa to the Canary Islands.

Official data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) show that migration is the key factor in Spain´s growing population which last year reached a record 7 million migrants out of a total of 49.4 million people.