Spain receives over 1M applications to regularize migrants

Spanish authorities have received over one million applications from irregular migrants seeking legal residency since authorities opened an emergency regularization window on April 15, more than double the 500,000 initially projected by the minority left-wing coalition government.

Government spokesperson and Inclusion Minister Elma Saiz told reporters following Monday's Cabinet meeting that the process had been "successful," defending the decree against attacks from the main opposition People's Party. Saiz criticized PP leaders for lodging formal complaints with Brussels alleging violations of EU standards, arguing such actions undermined the national interest as the application deadline expires Tuesday.

Opposition Challenges and EU Criticism

Right-wing and far-right legislators in the European Parliament have denounced Madrid's initiative, while People's Party officials continue to challenge the measure at the EU level. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is scheduled to attend a closing event Tuesday marking the end of the application period, which offers residency and work permits to migrants who entered Spain before January 1, 2026, have lived continuously in the country for at least five months, and hold no criminal record.

Demographic and Economic Context

The regularization drive comes as Spain's foreign-born population has reached 10 million — one-fifth of the total population — according to National Statistics Institute figures showing the number has doubled since 2002. Migrants have accounted for 43% of all new jobs created during the past three years, data showed, as civil society organizations reported total applications may reach 1.2 million when final counts are released this weekend.