Nearly One Million Illegal Immigrants Seek to Stay in Spain
Spain has received nearly one million residency permit applications from illegal immigrants since April, double the number initially expected under its extraordinary regularization program.
According to Junge Freiheit, Pilar Cancela Rodríguez, the country’s State Secretary for Migration, told the Reuters news agency on Monday that the government has sufficient capacity to process up to one million applications by the end of June.
Under the program, illegal immigrants whose applications are accepted receive the right to legally reside and work in Spain for one year. For minors, the authorization extends to five years. The permits also allow holders to travel within the Schengen Area for a limited period.
Massive Amnesty Program Exceeds Expectations
The Spanish government has framed the initiative as providing illegal immigrants an opportunity to meet requirements for regular residency status. Officials estimate that approximately 850,000 persons without legal residency were present in Spain in 2025.
The regularization program, published on April 15, permits illegal immigrants to apply for residency rights if they can demonstrate continuous residence in Spain for at least five years prior to January 1, 2026, and have no prior residency authorization. Migrants who filed asylum applications by the end of 2025 are also eligible to apply.
Applicants must have no criminal record and must not pose a threat to public order, internal security, or public health. The program excludes individuals who already possess residency rights, stateless persons, and Ukrainian nationals with temporary protection status.
Left-Wing Activist Campaign Behind Policy
The program originated from pressure by Regularización Ya!, a left-wing activist coalition that collected over 700,000 signatures over approximately six years to support illegal immigrants in Spain.
Earlier this year, Elma Saiz, Spain’s Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, told journalists the government would treat every person in Spain with dignity. At that time, the Spanish migration ministry projected only 500,000 applications would be submitted.
Since the program’s launch in April, authorities have already issued 360,000 temporary work permits, with applications continuing to surge well beyond initial government estimates.
With information from Junge Freiheit
