Madrid is set to grant legal status to nearly half a million undocumented workers, contrasting sharply with hardening EU migration policies. This unprecedented move is framed by the government as essential to buttress a social security system strained by demographic decline and fuel economic growth.
In a significant policy divergence from the broader European trend toward stricter border controls and increased deportations, the Spanish government is preparing to regularize the status of approximately 500,000 undocumented migrants. This extraordinary mass regularization, the first major initiative of its kind in over two decades, underscores a pragmatic economic calculus being employed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist-led administration.The eligibility criteria target foreign nationals who arrived before the end of 2025, possess clean criminal records, and can demonstrate a minimum residency of five months. The process, expected to open between April and June, was catalyzed by a citizen-backed proposal signed by nearly 700,000 individuals and supported by various civil society organizations, including the Catholic Church.The rationale presented by Madrid centers on fiscal sustainability and labor market needs. Spain, facing one of Europe’s lowest fertility rates and a rapidly aging native population, views the integration of these informal workers as crucial for sustaining its welfare state. Migration Minister Elma Saiz emphasized that bringing these workers—largely employed in sectors like construction, agriculture, and domestic services—into the formal economy will bolster tax revenues and social security contributions.“Spain needs to choose between being an open and prosperous country, or a closed-off and poor country,” a sentiment attributed to PM Sánchez, encapsulates the administration's view that migration is a fundamental driver of economic vitality. Official data supports this assertion, indicating that overseas-born individuals accounted for the majority of employment gains in the final quarter of 2025, coinciding with an 18-year low in the national unemployment rate.Jasmijn Slootjes, Deputy Director at Migration Policy Institute Europe, noted the move is a direct response to demographic pressures and existing labor shortages. “Through regularizing you can, of course, get more tax payments, and you also get better matching [to] their skills,” Slootjes commented, framing the decision as highly pragmatic rather than purely humanitarian.This policy stands in sharp relief against the backdrop of recent EU decisions favoring more restrictive migration measures, including plans for offshore return hubs for rejected asylum seekers. Furthermore, the regularization move has ignited predictable political opposition domestically. The far-right Vox party, which has gained traction on an anti-immigration platform, decried the action, with leader Santiago Abascal alleging the government seeks to “accelerate the invasion” and replace the Spanish populace.While Spain has largely avoided the intense anti-immigration sentiment seen in other major European economies, the political pressure from the right is evident, even influencing the conservative People’s Party. Nevertheless, data suggests a relatively higher degree of public acceptance toward immigration in Spain compared to many EU peers. The success or failure of this large-scale regularization will offer crucial insight into the viability of integrating large informal workforces to address structural demographic and economic challenges facing advanced economies globally.Source: Adapted from France24.
