Applicants dash as Spain's migrant regularisation ends

Spain is seeing a final rush of applicants as a sweeping migrant regularization program, launched by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government, concludes today. The initiative, which began in April, aimed to bring an estimated 500,000 people, mostly from Latin America, into legal status.

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is a huge opportunity

Government sources indicate that approximately 360,000 applications have been deemed admissible out of a total of 900,000 received. To qualify, applicants needed to prove a clean criminal record and continuous residency in Spain for at least five months prior to January 1. Approved individuals will receive a work and residence permit valid only within Spain.

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to be on the safe side

For many, like 59-year-old Cuban Juana Hernandez, the program represents a "huge opportunity." Having lived in Spain for over two years, her application was recently approved. She invested around €200 in legal fees, alongside assistance from a migrant aid group, to navigate the process. Hernandez, who holds an English degree, now aspires to work at Madrid airport.

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a little worried

Prime Minister Sanchez has positioned Spain as a proponent of more open immigration policies, a stance that contrasts with the increasingly stringent measures adopted by many of his European counterparts, partly due to the rise of far-right parties. This divergence has reportedly led to tense discussions with leaders like Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Sanchez maintains that "those who already live in our country and contribute to the economic development of our country deserve to have the same rights as any other citizen."

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relatively easy