In a bold move that sets Spain apart from much of Europe, the country's socialist-led coalition government has approved a landmark decree to regularise approximately 500,000 undocumented migrants and asylum seekers. The decision, announced after Tuesday's cabinet meeting, represents a significant shift toward a more inclusive migration model at a time when anti-immigration policies are gaining traction across the continent.
A Historic Step for Human Rights and Integration
Elma Saiz, Spain's Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, described the occasion as a "historic day" for the nation. The initiative aims to dismantle bureaucratic obstacles that have previously hindered migrants' access to legal status and basic rights. "We're reinforcing a migratory model based on human rights, on integration and on coexistence that's compatible with both economic growth and social cohesion," Saiz declared during the announcement.
The decree, which is expected to take effect in April, will apply to hundreds of thousands of individuals currently living in Spain with irregular status. To qualify for regularisation, applicants must demonstrate they have no criminal record and have resided in Spain for at least five months – or have sought international protection – before 31 December 2025. The measure is being implemented through a royal decree, meaning it bypasses the need for parliamentary approval.
Political Context and Pressure from Allies
The decree follows sustained pressure from the leftwing Podemos party, former allies of the socialists who have maintained a complex relationship with the government. Podemos leader Ione Belarra celebrated the agreement on social media, stating: "We reached a deal with the [socialist party] for the extraordinary regularisation of undocumented people. No one else has to work without rights … Today and always, yes we can!"
This development occurs within an international landscape characterised by increasingly restrictive immigration policies, border closures, and the criminalisation of migrants throughout much of Europe. Spain's Regularisation Now! movement welcomed the decision, noting it arrives "in an international context marked by the tightening of immigration policies."
Economic and Demographic Imperatives
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has consistently framed migration as essential to Spain's economic vitality and demographic sustainability. Addressing parliament in October 2024, Sánchez emphasised that the country stands at a demographic crossroads, requiring migration to fuel economic growth and maintain its welfare state. "Throughout history, migration has been one of the great drivers of the development of nations while hatred and xenophobia have been – and continue to be – the greatest destroyer of nations," he asserted. "The key is in managing it well."
Statistical evidence supports this perspective: high levels of migration to Spain have contributed to reducing unemployment to its lowest point since 2008, while migrants have filled critical gaps in the labour market created by an ageing population. Even some of Europe's most vocal critics of immigration have acknowledged its necessity – Italy's far-right leader Giorgia Meloni recently announced plans to issue nearly 500,000 new work visas for non-EU nationals, despite her previous warnings about irregular migration.
International Acclaim and Domestic Criticism
The Brussels-based Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (Picum) praised Spain's decision as "a powerful reminder that regularisation is not only possible – it works, and it's the right thing to do." Laetitia Van der Vennet, a senior advocacy officer at Picum, noted: "For thousands of undocumented people who have built their lives in Spain, this could mean dignity, stability and access to basic rights. At a time when a hostile environment against migrants is spreading on both sides of the Atlantic, this move shows both humanity and common sense."
However, the decree has faced fierce opposition from Spain's conservative People's party (PP) and the far-right Vox party. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo accused Sánchez of using the announcement to divert attention from the government's handling of last week's fatal rail crash, which claimed at least 45 lives. "Sánchez's first response is a massive regularisation to distract attention, to increase the pull effect and to overwhelm our public services," Feijóo claimed. "In socialist Spain, illegality is rewarded."
Vox, which is gaining ground in polls with explicitly anti-migrant rhetoric, employed familiar far-right tropes about replacement theory. Its leader, Santiago Abascal, declared: "Five hundred thousand illegals! Sánchez the tyrant hates the Spanish people. He wants to replace them – that's why he's using a decree to promote the pull effect and to accelerate the invasion. He must be stopped. Repatriations, deportations and remigration."
Historical Precedents and Grassroots Origins
Regularisation programmes are not unprecedented within the European Union – between 1996 and 2008, more than a dozen countries implemented 43 such initiatives. Spain itself has conducted nine regularisation programmes since its return to democracy, with the PP having authorised more than any other political party during its periods in government.
The current push originated from a citizen's initiative presented to parliament in 2024, which garnered over 700,000 signatures and received backing from approximately 900 social organisations. This grassroots momentum reflects growing public recognition of migrants' contributions to Spanish society and the economy.
As Spain moves forward with this ambitious regularisation effort, it positions itself as a European leader in developing migration policies that balance humanitarian concerns with practical economic needs. The decree represents not merely a bureaucratic adjustment, but a profound statement about the kind of society Spain aspires to build – one that values inclusion, recognises human dignity, and harnesses migration's potential for national development.
