Spain plans to grant legal residency and work authorisation to around 500,000 undocumented migrants, bucking restrictive immigration trends in Europe while aiming to integrate workers and address demographic and labour challenges.
In a period where much of the Western world is doubling down on border security and mass deportations, Spain has emerged as a startling outlier. While neighbouring European nations and the United States move toward more restrictive immigration policies, the Spanish government has announced a landmark plan to grant legal status to approximately 500,000 undocumented migrants over the next three years.
A pragmatic response to demographic decline
The decision is not merely a humanitarian gesture; it is an economic calculated necessity. Spain, like many of its European counterparts is grappling with an aging population and a shrinking workforce. The new regulations, approved by the cabinet this week aim to bolster the labour market by streamlining work permits and residency requirements.
Under the new framework, the government will simplify the process for migrants to obtain legal papers through various “roots” (arraigo), including labour, social, and educational ties. By bringing half a million people out of the “shadow economy,” Spain expects to significantly increase tax revenue and social security contributions.
Elma Saiz, Spain’s Minister of Migration emphasised that the country needs roughly 250,000 to 300,000 foreign workers annually to maintain its welfare state. By integrating those already living within its borders, Spain is betting that legalisation is a more efficient path to prosperity than mass expulsion.
The Spanish exception in a hardening Europe
What makes Spain’s move particularly striking is the broader geopolitical context. From the “No Kings” protests against immigration crackdowns in the US to the rise of far-right parties in Germany, France, and Italy, the prevailing wind in the West is blowing toward “fortress” mentalities. Even traditionally liberal nations like the Netherlands and Sweden have recently introduced measures to curb irregular migration.
Spain’s approach serves as a counter-narrative to the “security-first” model. While Spain still faces significant pressure at its borders, particularly in the Canary Islands, which saw a record influx of nearly 40,000 migrants in 2024, the government is distinguishing between border control and the management of people already integrated into the fabric of Spanish society. By reducing the “legal limbo” period for migrants from three years to two, Madrid is attempting to prevent the creation of a permanent underclass, which often serves as a flashpoint for social unrest in other nations.
Benefits for immigrants and the economy
It’s not the first time Spain has granted amnesty to immigrants who are in the country illegally: It has done so six times between 1986 and 2005.
“There was a strong impact on the workforce, not only legalizing the status of workers but creating formal jobs,” said Anna Terrón Cusi, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute think tank who previously worked on immigration policy for multiple Spanish governments, including Sánchez’s.
The measure will allow Spain to “reset the counter” ahead of the implementation in June of the new European migration and asylum pact which relies heavily on deportations as a solution to irregular migration, she said. Terrón added that by granting legal status to migrants in the country irregularly, Sánchez is giving rights and protections to undocumented workers while also benefiting the Spanish economy.
“In the end, telling people that immigration is bad may appeal to them, but deporting the woman who cleans their house is a different story,” she said.
Opposition slams the move
Center-right and far-right parties criticised the government’s announcement.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the conservative Popular Party, accused Sánchez of trying to distract from a deadly train crash earlier this month that left 46 dead. Meanwhile, Santiago Abascal, leader of the anti-immigration, far-right party Vox, wrote on social media that Sánchez “hated” Spaniards and was “accelerating an invasion,” echoing a racist conspiracy theory often used by right-wing extremists.
The Iberian nation which saw millions of its citizens leave during and after its civil war has taken in millions of people from South America and Africa in recent years. The vast majority entered the country legally.
Saiz said Spain will remain a “beacon” in the fight against the global wave of anti-immigration politics led by the far right.
“We will do everything in our power to stop it,” she said. “I believe that today is a great day for our country.”
With inputs from agencies
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