Spain’s Socialist-led government presented a draft decree on Tuesday to expedite legal status for hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants.
The move is part of its efforts to integrate migrant workers even as other European countries curb immigration
Spain's economic growth has by far outpaced most European peers in the past two years, at least in part boosted by an openness to immigration that has dynamised key sectors like hospitality and care, and bolstered the welfare state.
Migration Minister Elma Saiz told a news conference that irregular migrants who have lived in Spain for at least five months by the end of 2025 and have no criminal record would be eligible for the accelerated residence permit.
She added that migrants who applied for asylum before the end of the year would also qualify.
Some 500,000 people, mostly from Latin America, stand to benefit from the measure, according to government estimates.
The permit will be valid for a year or five in the case of children and renewable. After 10 years, the migrants could become citizens, or even quicker if they are from Latin America countries or refugees.
"We are strengthening a migration model based on human rights and integration, compatible with economic growth and social cohesion," Saiz told reporters.
Research from think tank Funcas suggests that around 840,000 people, a third of all non-EU migrants in Spain, were undocumented at the start of last year, a sharp increase from eight years ago when the figure stood at roughly 100,000.
A citizen-backed proposal to legalise undocumented migrants, signed by 700,000 people and backed by 900 rights groups and the Catholic Church, was filed over a year ago.
It later stalled in parliament, where disputes with splinter parties across the political spectrum have crippled the government’s ability to approve legislation.
In its current form, the decree can be enacted by the cabinet within a few weeks' time without parliamentary approval.
Conservative opposition leader Alberto Nuñez Feijoo has vowed to overturn the government's migratory policies if his party wins the next election, taking place at the latest next year.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday...
In a workshop in Margilan, in eastern Uzbekistan's Fergana ...
Houthi attacks target Riyadh amid concerns over Saudi oil supplies, as Iran says it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz until its conditions are m...
Iran's Revolutionary Guards Navy said a Togo-flagged oil tanker was struck while attempting to make an “illegal passage” through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media said early on Friday.
Saudi civil defence sent an all-clear on Saturday after issuing alerts for a second time for potential danger in Riyadh and the city of Al-Kharj east of the capital, amid an uptick in attacks by Iran-aligned Houthis on the Gulf country.
The European Union will disburse €3.3 billion ($3.8 billion) to Ukraine for missiles and drones, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
Three students were killed in a school shooting in the southern Philippines on Friday, including a 16-year-old suspected gunman who turned the gun on himself, provincial officials said.
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday. A mother and her two 3-year-old children were killed when a Russian drone strike hit a private home, the emergency service said.
A small container of lunar soil travelled more than 380,000 kilometres from the far side of the Moon to Earth two years ago. It recently made one more journey - from Beijing to Vienna, where China officially handed it over to the United Nations.
Russian authorities have reported attacks on voting systems and communication lines as the country’s parliamentary election entered its second day on Saturday (19 September).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a new eight-nation grouping aimed at boosting trade, energy and security cooperation across central and eastern Europe. Here's what you need to know.
The U.S. State Department approved a $2.7 billion military sale to Ukraine for air-defence development upgrades, along with related equipment and services, the department said. Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities reported at least 10 people had died in Russian attacks over the last 24 hours.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment