More than one million undocumented migrants and asylum seekers have applied to regularise their status in Spain under a government programme aimed at bringing more people into the formal workforce and supporting the country's long-term economic and demographic needs. Get today's headlines by email Overwhelming response to regularisation schemeThe initiative, announced by Spain's socialist-led government in January, was originally expected to benefit around 500,000 people. However, by the time applications closed on Tuesday, the number of applicants had exceeded one million. The programme offers successful applicants a one-year residence and work permit. To qualify, individuals must prove they have no criminal record and show they had been living in Spain for at least five months before 31 December 2025, or that they had applied for international protection before that date. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the unexpectedly high number of applications demonstrated the need for the scheme. "The fact that more than one million people submitted applications shows just how necessary this recognition of rights and responsibilities was," he said during an event in Madrid. Government argues immigration is vitalSánchez said immigration would be essential for Spain's future economic growth, its ageing population and the sustainability of its welfare system. He warned that without immigration, Spain's gross domestic product would be 19% lower by 2050. He said such a scenario would result in the closure of around 90,000 bars, leave 50,000 primary and secondary school classrooms without pupils, and lead to the loss of approximately 220,000 farms. According to the prime minister, Spain would become "poorer, emptier, weaker and without the resources to fund its welfare state" without continued migration. Spain has previously introduced large-scale regularisation programmes under both socialist and conservative governments, but the latest measure has drawn strong opposition from conservative and far-right parties. Opposition mounts legal and political challengeThe centre-right People's Party (PP) has argued that the scheme risks placing excessive pressure on public services, while the far-right Vox party has accused the government of using immigration to reshape Spain's population, labour market and electoral landscape. Regional PP administrations in Valencia and Aragón have challenged the programme in court. On Tuesday, a court said it was considering asking the European Court of Justice to determine whether parts of the government's decree are compatible with European Union law. PP leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has also criticised a separate democratic memory law introduced in 2022, which allows descendants of Spaniards exiled during the Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco's dictatorship to obtain Spanish citizenship. More than 2.4 million people have applied under that law, with more than 544,000 applications already approved. In a radio interview on Monday, Feijóo accused the government of pursuing "electoral engineering" by expanding the number of potential voters. The government rejected those claims. Migration Minister Elma Saiz described the accusations as "incredibly irresponsible", saying they reflected political frustration rather than a credible policy alternative. Integration plan unveiledSánchez has consistently defended immigration even as many European governments have adopted tougher migration policies. Reiterating comments he made to parliament in October 2024, he said migration has historically driven national development, while hatred and xenophobia have undermined societies. Alongside the regularisation programme, the government announced a €500 million (£431 million) integration and citizenship plan aimed at helping migrants settle successfully in Spain. Sánchez said the initiative would promote equal treatment, combat discrimination and expand opportunities, while also expecting newcomers to respect Spanish law, learn the country's official languages and embrace its democratic values. Join the discussion? Already a member? Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 1 July 2026
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