Spain Opens Amnesty Program for Migrants to Legalize Their Status
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Spain has initiated an amnesty measure for migrants living and working in the country without authorization, with the potential for legalizing hundreds of thousands of individuals. The program offers these immigrants a renewable one-year residence permit, provided they have spent five months in Spain and have a clean criminal record. The Spanish government has framed this move as an economic one, with PM Pedro Sánchez arguing that these individuals should be able to work and pay taxes under equal conditions, and highlighting the need for more workers to support Spain’s growing economy and aging population.
Spain’s Amnesty Program for Migrants Commences
Migrants in Spain can now apply in person to legalize their status as Spain initiated an amnesty program affecting hundreds of thousands of unauthorized foreigners living in the country. Launched this month, the program allows immigrants without legal status who have been residing in the country for at least five months and have a clean criminal record to apply for a one-year, renewable residence permit till the end of June.
Spain’s government and Spanish think tank Funcas estimate this could affect up to 500,000 and 840,000 migrants respectively. Over 370 post offices, 60 social security offices, and some migration offices are accepting applications, with online applications having started last week.
Experience of the applicants has been generally smooth, though some complained about long waiting times even with scheduled appointments. Venezuelan migrant Nubia Rivas, who managed to file her application in Madrid, commended the simplicity of the process, albeit slow. READ MORE: Spain closes airspace to U.S. planes involved in Iran war
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez backs the measure as “an act of justice and a necessity,” arguing that those already living and working in Spain should be on equal footing and contribute to taxes. With its ageing population, Spain needs more workers to sustain its growing economy and contribute to social security, according to the government.
Unlike other European countries striving to control immigration and increase deportations, Spain views legalization as a key economic move with support from business owners and unions. Spain’s population, now including approximately 10 million foreign-born residents, mainly from Colombia, Venezuela, and Morocco, has significantly grown, and key sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and the service sector now depend on immigrants from Latin America and Africa.
This isn’t Spain’s first amnesty for unauthorized immigrants, having done so six times between 1986 and 2005. Moroccan migrant Mourad El-Shaky, who spent four hours in line outside Barcelona’s City Hall to acquire the paperwork needed to apply, believes the legalization measure would resolve many issues. “You’re like a bird that can’t fly, with broken wings, without papers (work and residency permits),” El-Shaky said.
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