Spain's mass migrant regularization draws over one million applications, far exceeding government forecasts
The Spanish government's extraordinary regularization programme closed on Tuesday with more than one million applications, roughly double the initial estimate, as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez framed the policy as an economic necessity for an ageing country.
Application surge
Spain's exceptional migrant regularization process, launched in April, ended on 30 June with more than one million applications, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced. The figure was roughly twice the 500,000 beneficiaries the government had initially projected. NGOs put the number of people covered even higher, at around 1.3 million, while the Supreme Court noted the measure could affect up to 1.6 million individuals. The programme targeted undocumented foreigners who entered Spain before 1 January 2026, had no criminal record and could prove five months of uninterrupted residence. Successful applicants receive a one-year renewable residence and work permit.
- Government announces extraordinary regularization plan
- Application period opens
- Deadline closes with over 1 million applications
- Government must complete review of applications (three-month deadline)
The fact that more than a million people applied shows how necessary this measure was.
Economic rationale
Sánchez and his government have consistently presented the regularization as an economic and demographic strategy, not merely a humanitarian gesture. Spain has one of Europe's lowest birth rates, and deaths have exceeded births among resident mothers since 2015. The prime minister warned that without immigration, Spain would lose 19% of its GDP by 2050. The executive argues that bringing hundreds of thousands of workers into the formal economy will boost tax revenues and shore up the social security system. The recent performance of the Spanish economy, among the fastest-growing in the EU, has been partly attributed to the arrival of more than three million people since the pandemic.
Without immigration, Spain would lose 19% of its GDP by 2050.
Political and legal pushback
The programme has drawn sharp criticism from the conservative opposition. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the centre-right Partido Popular, rejected the measure as inhumane, unjust, insecure and unsustainable, warning it could overload infrastructure and worsen the housing shortage. Santiago Abascal of the far-right Vox party described it as an invasion. The Supreme Court has proposed referring a question to the Court of Justice of the EU over whether the regularization conflicts with EU law, following appeals from the regional governments of Valencia and Aragon. The court sees indications that the scheme constitutes a general regularization regime without the required coordination with EU institutions.
It is inhumane, it is unjust, it is insecure and it is unsustainable.
Broad social support
Despite the political controversy, the regularization enjoys backing from business associations, trade unions, the Catholic Church and numerous NGOs. Sánchez has used this consensus to push back against European criticism, recently advising EU counterparts to discuss the matter with the Vatican. He insisted that Spain wants to be seen as a country that respects, protects and guarantees human rights.
Spain respects, protects and guarantees human rights.
Integration plan and next steps
Alongside the regularization, Sánchez presented a "Plan de Integración y Ciudadanía" with 16 measures and 10 objectives, backed by €505 million. Critics, however, say the plan arrives late and is insufficient. The government now has three months to process the applications, a logistical challenge that will test the capacity of immigration offices already under strain.
