HIBAPRESS
The Spanish government announced on Tuesday a plan to regularize the status of undocumented immigrants, which could benefit about half a million people, in a move aimed at supporting the national economy and ensuring the rights of residents in the country.
The Minister of Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, said through official television that this measure will allow beneficiaries, who have resided in Spain for at least five months and arrived before December 31, 2025, to obtain legal status and work in any sector and any place in the country.
The Minister explained that applications will be available starting in April and until June 30, 2026, stressing that the goal is to protect the dignity of immigrants and provide them with guarantees and opportunities.
The Spanish government adopts a welcoming policy towards immigrants for economic reasons, in a different path from most European Union countries that tend to tighten immigration policies.
To facilitate the implementation of the plan, the government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez adopted a royal decree stipulated by the Spanish constitution, and published in the official gazette without the need for a parliamentary vote, as the government does not have a parliamentary majority.
This decision came after a meeting between the government and the left-wing Podemos party, which welcomed the measure, and in response to a popular initiative signed by more than 600,000 people and supported by about 900 associations to demand the regularization of the status of undocumented immigrants exceptionally.
Spain, along with Italy and Greece, is one of the main entry points for immigration to Europe, especially through the Canary Islands. The number of undocumented immigrants who arrived in Spain in 2025 reached about 37,000 people, a decrease of 42.6% compared to 2024, according to the Ministry of Interior.
According to the Spanish National Institute of Statistics, more than seven million foreigners live in the country out of a total population of 49.4 million people.
