Spain plans to fast-track legal status for at least half a million undocumented migrants between early April and June, in a move designed to bolster the country’s workforce and sustain economic growth.
However, union officials and prospective applicants warn that a lack of information and state funding could derail the process. The migration ministry has not allocated additional funding or staff to manage the expected surge in applications, raising concerns among frontline workers at already overstretched immigration offices.
César Pérez, a union representative for Spain’s immigration officers, said most colleagues are still processing applications submitted in June 2025. He warned that managing the new drive without technological upgrades or extra funding would be “impossible”. An unpublished draft decree dated 18 February refers to a preferential procedure for handling applications but provides few operational details.
Economic context and political deadlock
While other European countries are tightening border controls, Spain’s government continues to promote migration as a means of sustaining economic growth. Official estimates suggest the country requires approximately 2.4 million additional contributors to social security over the next decade to support the welfare state.
Despite this strategy, parliamentary deadlock has prevented lawmakers from approving a national budget since 2023, limiting the government’s capacity to finance the initiative.
To cope with the anticipated workload, authorities are considering enlisting non-governmental organisations to help process applications or extending office opening hours. Neither measure has been formally adopted, leaving administrators doubtful that the scheme will be launched on schedule.
The approach differs markedly from Spain’s last major regularisation programme in 2005, when the government recruited 1,700 additional employees to manage demand.
Impact on applicants
The uncertainty has prompted prospective applicants to queue at immigration offices seeking clarification about the required documentation. The government has indicated that individuals with no criminal record who have resided in Spain continuously for five months, or who applied for asylum before the end of 2025, may qualify.
Immigration Minister Elma Saiz said applicants could be permitted to work legally within 15 days of submitting their paperwork, although experts remain sceptical given longstanding administrative delays.
According to data from the Spanish think tank Funcas, migrants currently spend an average of two to three years attempting to secure legal status. During that period, an estimated 840,000 undocumented individuals work in the informal economy while awaiting a decision. Amid a shortage of available appointments, some applicants are already paying illegal intermediaries to obtain meetings at immigration offices.
World leaders are set to gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York for several days of high-level debate, with Iran, Ukraine, artif...
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...
The death toll from an overnight Russian attack on the Kyiv region rose to four, including three children, Kyiv regional authorities said on Sunday...
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.
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 met and U.S. commitments are implemented, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday.
World leaders are set to gather at the United Nations General Assembly in New York for several days of high-level debate, with Iran, Ukraine, artificial intelligence (AI) and a range of global crises expected to dominate discussions this week.
Ed Sheeran has broken his silence on the controversy surrounding his U.S. tour, apologising for decisions made after rapper Macklemore was removed from the line-up over his public support for Palestine.
French President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the tiny French territory of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, off the coast of Canada, where he is due to meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday (20 September).
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.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment