Spain's migrant regularisation deadline triggers last-minute rush

Spain's largest migrant regularisation programme entered its final hours on Monday, as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) rushed to help undocumented migrants submit residency applications before the scheme closes on Tuesday.

Spain's largest migrant regularisation programme entered its final hours on Monday, as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) rushed to help undocumented migrants submit residency applications before the scheme closes on Tuesday.

The special scheme, designed to grant eligible applicants a one-year residence permit, has attracted far more interest than expected. Between April and June, authorities received more than double the 500,000 applications they had initially anticipated, with the total reaching 1.27 million by Friday, according to César Pérez, the union leader representing Spain's immigration officers.

NGOs urge migrants to apply despite missing documents

Humanitarian organisations, including CEAR and Cepaim, are encouraging migrants to submit their applications even if they are still waiting for documents from their home countries.

"We're carrying out a final check of all the people who have come to our offices and who may have been missing some documentation at the start of the process," said Elena Muñoz, coordinator of CEAR's legal team.

"If a case is not yet complete ... we will submit it before 30 June so that they do not miss the opportunity to benefit from the regularisation process."

According to the organisations, applicants who submit their forms before the deadline may be granted additional time to provide outstanding documentation.

Bureaucratic obstacles slow applications

Many migrants have struggled to obtain the required documents from countries affected by conflict or administrative challenges.

Experts say applicants from Iran and Mali have encountered difficulties legalising documents through Spanish consulates, while similar problems have affected migrants from Algeria and Nigeria.

Venezuelans have also faced delays obtaining apostilled criminal record certificates. Recent changes to Spain's migration policy required many asylum seekers from Venezuela to switch to the new regularisation procedure earlier this month, leaving them less time to gather the necessary paperwork.

"This meant some Venezuelans had less time to gather the necessary documents," said Juan Segura, director-general of Cepaim, who argued that extending the deadline would be advisable.

Spain's Migration Ministry has said it does not intend to extend the application period.

Concerns over rejections

Rights groups warn that technical problems and strict documentation requirements could leave many applicants without legal status.

Silvana Cabrera, who heads a migrant support organisation in Valencia, said online application platforms experienced technical issues during the final days of the process.

"It's a distressing situation ... many migrants may not manage to register," she said.

NGOs estimate that at least one in five applications could ultimately be rejected because of missing documents or limited administrative flexibility.

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Calls for long-term reform

CEAR argues that Spain should introduce a permanent pathway to legal residency rather than requiring migrants to spend up to two years living without legal status before becoming eligible.

For many applicants, the outcome remains uncertain.

José Luis Quiroga, a Colombian migrant who arrived in Spain just hours after the eligibility cut-off, submitted his application after receiving advice from the NGO Aculco.

"There's no certainty, but it seems unfair they wouldn't approve my application just because I was four hours late," he said.

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