Over 1 Million Migrants Apply for Residency in Spain

Over 1 million undocumented migrants have rushed to apply for legal residency in Spain before the mass regularisation programme closed at the end of June.

The Socialist government’s scheme, which was launched in April, comes as its European neighbours tighten measures against irregular immigration in response to pressure from far-right parties.

Latin America accounted for 67 percent of the submissions, with African nationalities following with 22.9 percent.

An overwhelming majority of applicants were young, with 8 out of 10 under 45, and 57 percent of the total were men.

Undocumented migrants apply for residency in Spain. Credit: Euronews.com.

Following this, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has touted the benefits of immigration, saying foreigners are needed to sustain the economy and Spain’s ageing population.

“Without immigration, Spain would lose 19 percent of its GDP by 2050,” Sánchez said.

The programme has drawn heavy criticism from the country’s conservative and far-right opposition, who say the policy will encourage more irregular immigration.

Applicants had to prove they had a clean criminal record and had spent at least five consecutive months in the country before 1 January this year.

Officials have three months to process their paperwork and decide whether to issue a work and residence permit valid only in Spain.

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