Spain to grant legal status to 500,000 undocumented migrants
MADRID — Spain will grant legal status to about 500,000 undocumented migrants, the government announced Tuesday, casting the move as a pragmatic response to labor shortages and a bid to curb exploitation in the underground economy. The step contrasts with increasingly restrictive immigration rhetoric in the United States and parts of Europe.
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Immigration Minister Elma Saiz called the decision “historic,” saying it strengthens a migration model “based on human rights, integration, coexistence, and compatibility with economic growth and social cohesion.” The Spanish presidency said the measure will allow migrants to live with “dignity.”
Under the rules, foreigners who arrived in Spain before Dec. 31, 2025, and can prove they have lived in the country for at least five months will be eligible for up to one year of legal residency. Successful applicants will receive nationwide work permits valid across all sectors. They must also show they have no criminal record. Applications open in early April and close June 30, 2026.
The government argues the policy recognizes on-the-ground realities in a country where undocumented labor has become entrenched in sectors like agriculture, caregiving and hospitality. Spain’s central bank and the United Nations have warned that the country needs roughly 300,000 migrant workers annually to sustain its welfare system and support growth amid an aging population.
Despite its scope, the measure will not cover all undocumented migrants. Funcas, an economic research center linked to Spain’s banking association, estimates about 840,000 undocumented migrants were living in Spain at the start of 2025. Of those, approximately 760,000 are from Latin America, including around 290,000 from Colombia, nearly 110,000 from Peru and about 90,000 from Honduras. Funcas says the undocumented population has grown eightfold since 2017.
The plan builds on reforms that took effect in May last year, which were designed to simplify and accelerate pathways to legalization. The government has said those earlier changes could allow up to 900,000 undocumented migrants to obtain legal status over three years, signaling a sustained effort to align immigration policy with labor-market demand.
Officials say the new framework is intended to reduce the risks and uncertainty faced by hundreds of thousands of people already living and working in Spain without papers, many of whom are integrated into local communities. By creating a route to regularization, the government aims to increase tax and social security contributions, expand the formal labor pool and diminish incentives for employers to hire off the books.
The announcement comes as European countries debate how to balance border control with acute worker shortages, especially in elder care, construction and seasonal harvests. Spain’s approach centers on channeling people already present into legal employment and social systems rather than expanding new entry routes. The application window and documentation requirements are intended to provide a clear process while setting eligibility limits.
Further details on documentation standards and application procedures are expected as the April launch approaches. For now, the ministry’s message is that the change is both an economic and social investment: formalize work that is already happening, protect workers from abuse, and stabilize communities where migrants have been living in a legal gray area.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
