Spain Announces Plan to Legalize Status of Undocumented Immigrants, Potentially Benefiting Over Half a Million

Madrid. The Spanish government has announced a plan to legalize the status of undocumented immigrants. This is expected to benefit more than half a million illegal immigrants.

Under the regularization process, foreign nationals who do not have a criminal record and can prove they have resided in Spain for at least five months before December 31, 2025, will be granted legal recognition.

Spain's Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Elma Saiz, called this decision a historic day for the country, stating it will strengthen an immigration model that aligns with human rights, social cohesion, and economic growth.

Under this plan, beneficiaries will initially be granted a one-year residence permit, which can be renewed later. The application process for legalization will begin in April and remain open until the end of June.

In recent years, a large number of immigrants, especially from Latin America, have been arriving in Spain. According to the conservative think-tank Funcas, the number of undocumented immigrants, which was 107,000 in 2017, has increased to over 837,000 in 2025. The majority of immigrants are believed to come from Colombia, Peru, and Honduras.

Spain's socialist-led government appears to hold a different stance compared to other major European countries on this issue. It is estimated that Spain's economy will grow by about 3 percent in 2025 largely due to the contribution of immigrants. The unemployment rate, which has long been a problem, has also fallen below 10 percent for the first time since 2008. Below