A mural in the town of Albacete, Spain, where the mayor and municipal groups are among those calling for migrants’ position to be legalised. Photo Credit: Pablo Garcia/The Guardian
Society SpainPath Opens for Hundreds of Thousands to Gain Legal Status and Rights
Spain approved a decree in 2026 to regularise the status of around 500,000 undocumented migrants who had lived in the country for at least five months, strengthening integration and labour protections.
“We’re reinforcing a migratory model based on human rights, integration and coexistence,” said Elma Saiz, Spain’s Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration.
The measure, expected to take effect in April 2026, requires applicants to show a clean criminal record and residency before 31 December 2025, potentially granting access to legal employment, healthcare and social services. Spain has implemented nine regularisation programmes since its return to democracy, and migration is seen as supporting economic growth, with unemployment falling below 10 per cent in 2025 and nearly 22.5 million people in work, a record high.
