Spain approves landmark decree to regularise 500,000 undocumented migrants

Spain has taken a major step in reshaping its migration policy after the government approved a decree that will allow around 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum seekers to legalise their status.

The measure, expected to come into force in April, targets people who have been living in Spain without papers as well as asylum seekers already in the system. To qualify, applicants must show they have no criminal record and that they were living in Spain for at least five months before 31 December 2025, or that they had already applied for international protection.

A shift against Europe’s restrictive trend

The decision places Spain at odds with the increasingly restrictive migration policies seen across much of Europe. While several countries are tightening borders and limiting legal pathways, Spain’s socialist-led coalition is moving in the opposite direction by expanding access to residency and work rights.

Elma Saiz, Spain’s Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, described the move as “historic”, saying the decree aims to remove long-standing bureaucratic obstacles and promote a migration model based on human rights, integration and coexistence.

According to the government, regularising migrants is not only a humanitarian measure but also an economic one, helping Spain sustain growth and support its welfare system. Critics, however, warn of a potential “pull effect”, arguing that large-scale regularisations can encourage more irregular arrivals if people believe legalisation will eventually follow.

Economic context behind the decision

Spain’s economy is currently outperforming many of its European neighbours. Unemployment has fallen to its lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis, with nearly 22.5 million people now in work.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has repeatedly argued that migration is essential to Spain’s demographic and economic future. With an ageing population and labour shortages in key sectors, the government sees legal migration as a way to maintain productivity and social stability.

Rather than viewing migrants as a burden, the administration frames the policy as an investment in Spain’s workforce and long-term development.

But economists and regional authorities point out that regularisation also increases pressure on housing, healthcare, education and local administrations, many of which are already stretched. Legal status does not automatically create affordable homes, school places or GP appointments. In other words, regularisation changes people’s legal position, not the infrastructure they depend on.

Backed by civil society and left-wing parties

The decree follows pressure from left-wing groups and social organisations. A citizens’ initiative presented in 2024 gathered more than 700,000 signatures and support from hundreds of NGOs calling for extraordinary regularisation.

Migration advocacy organisations welcomed the move, highlighting that legal status gives people access to employment, healthcare and basic protections.

Supporters argue that regularisation reduces exploitation, strengthens tax contributions and allows migrants who are already part of Spanish society to participate fully in the economy.

Political backlash from the right

Not everyone supports the policy. Spain’s conservative People’s Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party have strongly criticised the decision.

PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused the government of encouraging irregular migration and overloading public services. Vox went further, using hard-line rhetoric and calling for deportations instead of legalisation.

Part of a broader European debate

Spain’s move comes at a time when migration remains one of Europe’s most polarising political issues. While some governments focus on deterrence and border control, others are beginning to acknowledge the economic need for foreign workers.

Even leaders traditionally opposed to migration have softened their stance. Italy, for example, has announced hundreds of thousands of new work visas for non-EU nationals in response to labour shortages.

Spain’s decree therefore reflects a growing tension across Europe: balancing political pressure with economic reality.

What the decree means for migrants

For many undocumented people already living in Spain, the regularisation programme could mean:

• Legal residency
• Access to formal employment
• Healthcare and social services
• Protection from exploitation
• Greater social stability

Instead of remaining in legal limbo, hundreds of thousands of people may finally be able to build secure lives in the country they already call home.

A turning point in Spain’s migration policy

Whether the policy becomes a model for other European countries remains to be seen. What is clear is that Spain is choosing a path focused on integration over exclusion, at a time when migration debates continue to dominate politics across the continent.

By combining economic pragmatism with a human-rights approach, Spain’s regularisation decree marks one of the most significant shifts in European migration policy in recent years. And rather than painting migration policy as purely humanitarian or purely dangerous, Spain’s latest move shows how complex the issue really is: a mix of necessity, risk, opportunity and unresolved tension.