A total of 500,000 undocumented immigrants in Spain are on the verge of getting legal status as the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez approved the amnesty programme first announced earlier this year.
Sanchez, who is currently in China, announced that the law has been signed into effect, saying the decision was 'an act of justice and a necessity' for Spain.
The prime minister said the law aims to acknowledge 'the reality of nearly half a million people who already form part of our everyday lives,' adding that the country needed these migrants to help the economy and sustain services in the country, considering its ageing population.
What Is The 2026 Immigration Amnesty And Who Is Eligible To Apply?
According to the official website of the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, the royal decree establishes a procedure for individuals in an irregular administrative situation in Spain and applicants for international protection to obtain legal residence and work permits.
The Spanish government's new regularisation programme targets foreign nationals who have been living in Spain for at least five months before 31 December 2025, provided that they have a clean criminal record and are not banned from entering Spain.
The measure is for people who have demonstrated ties to Spain, but still lack a formal residence permit.
Successful applicants will be given a one-year residence permit that enables them to live and work in Spain legally.
Minister Elma Saiz hailed the legislation, saying 'this process aims to guarantee the rights of migrants and provide legal certainty to the system'.
'Our prosperity is demonstrably linked to our management of migration and the contributions of foreign workers. Their contribution allows us to grow economically, generate employment and wealth, and maintain our welfare system,' she added.
She also assured that the regularisation process will be 'agile, efficient, and unobstructed'.
Applications will start on Thursday online, and in person starting 20 April until 30 June.
The government estimates that half a million people could be eligible to apply, while some analysts say that there are around 840,000 undocumented migrants in the country.
How Do Migrants React?
Following the announcement of the law, Bangladeshi migrants in Barcelona gathered to celebrate the approval.
For Bolivian graphic designer, Ricardo, the amnesty programme helps migrants like him to have access to work and a better quality of life, saying it was difficult for him to maintain stable employment without a legal status. '... it means more money for the Spanish state and more workers will be legally available for employers'.
Opposition Reacts
While the passage of the law is considered a win for the government and the migrants, the opposition thinks otherwise, saying the decision was unsustainable.
Opposition People's Party leader Alberto Nez Feijo said the law is also 'inhumane, unfair, and unsafe'.
Meanwhile, immigration offices also threatened a strike next week to oppose the law, saying the country's systems are not ready to handle a surge of applications.
'The government is once again implementing a new regularisation without giving offices enough economic resources to handle it,' stated a union leader for Spain's immigration officers.
