Spain to Grant Residency to Undocumented Migrants

Spain’s left-wing government is set to formalise a decree granting legal status to approximately 500,000 undocumented immigrants, a significant portion of whom originate from Africa.

The migration minister, Elma Saiz, on Tuesday, said the migrants will be allowed to work legally in any sector and in any part of Spain.

Saiz said migration has a positive effect on the country. She explained that the government is “recognising and respecting” people who are already living in Spain.

The estimate, she said, is around half a million people, stating, “We are talking about estimations; probably more or less the figures may be around half a million people.”

Ministry sources said the policy will apply to migrants who have lived in Spain for at least five months and who applied for international protection before December 31, 2025.

Their children who already live in Spain will also be included.  Applications will open in April and close at the end of June.

Spain is one of the main entry points for African migrants seeking a better life in Europe, especially from West and North Africa.  Many take risks by travelling across the Mediterranean Sea or the Atlantic Ocean to the Canary Islands in pursuit of employment and safety.

The interior ministry reported that 36,775 migrants, mostly by sea, entered Spain illegally last year, a 42.6% decrease from 64,019 in 2024.

While arrivals in the Mediterranean Balearic Islands, primarily from Algeria, increased by 24.5 per cent to 7,321 in 2025, arrivals to the Canary Islands fell by 62 per cent to 17,788.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has also said Spain needs migrants to fill job gaps and support an ageing population.

“Spain is a country that firmly defends a legal, safe, and orderly migration model, but also one that is open and humane, in contrast to those who seek to close borders and deny migrants the minimum level of dignity,” Sanchez said.

He stressed that “the data invite optimism” thanks to the policies pursued by the executive, with immigrant workers as its key pillar.

“This migration accounts for 80 per cent of the growth recorded in Spain over the past six years and contributes 10 per cent of Social Security revenues while representing only one per cent of expenditure,” Sanchez noted.

He added that there is no need to fear the so-called “pull factor”, as irregular immigration “represents only six per cent of the total.”

“Those who propose a Spain closed in on itself are offering a Spain that will not be prosperous, that will be poor, and that, without a doubt, will not have sufficient resources to sustain its welfare state,” the Socialist leader said.