Spain ends massive migrant amnestymassive migrant amnesty as over one million undocumented apply for legal status
Spain's government ended its largest migrant amnesty program in European history on Tuesday, after more than one million undocumented immigrants applied to legalize their status.
The regularisation measure, launched earlier this year by the leftist administration, allowed foreigners living and working without authorization to apply for legal residency.
The program marks a bold commitment to human rights integration despite rising European opposition to irregular immigration.
Spanish Government
Spain's government frames the amnesty as a human rights obligation, asserting that the country must respect and protect immigrants living and working there without authorization, even as other European nations tighten border controls.
European Critics
European observers view the program as a significant departure from the continent's growing crackdown on irregular immigration, with many governments fearing such regularizations could encourage further undocumented migration flows.
- Spain has hosted over 1.2 million undocumented immigrants since 2020, the highest number in the EU.
- The amnesty program is the first nationwide regularisation in Spain since 2005, which legalized 700,000 migrants.
- Cuban immigrants in Spain have increased by 40% since 2022, making them the third-largest foreign group.
