Spain to Legalize 900,000 Unregistered Migrants Over Three Years

Starting in May 2025 and running through 2027, Spain has proposed a plan to legalize around 300,000 illegal immigrants yearly. Aimed at increasing the workforce of the nation, the new policy will let immigrants lacking appropriate papers get residency and work permits. With policymakers believing that roughly 250,000 foreign workers are needed annually to maintain the welfare state, Spain's aging population and low birthrate make the demand for migrant workers even more urgent.

The legalization campaign, according to Minister of Migration Elma Saiz, is about economic development as much as human rights and cultural diversity. Moreover, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has presented his immigration policy as a means of addressing demographic issues facing Spain. Approved by the left-wing coalition government of Spain, the initiative streamlines visa application processes and grants job-seeker permits ranging three months to one year.

Since many illegal immigrants in Spain are hired in low-paying but vital jobs like fruit picking and caring, the program also seeks to guard migrants from exploitation. About 54,000 migrants had arrived in Spain by mid-November, and the government expects the new approach will assist to stop organized crime and prevent abuse. Driven in part by immigration, Spain's economy has seen significant expansion; in 2023 the nation issued 1.3 million visas to foreign nationals.