Spain’s socialist-led coalition government has approved an order to grant legal status to nearly 500,000 undocumented migrants and refugees living in the country.
The decision, passed by the Council of Ministers, is expected to come into effect from April. According to the government, the regularization process will be implemented through a government decree, meaning parliamentary approval will not be required. Under the plan, foreign nationals who can prove they have been living in Spain for at least five months, who did not enter the country after December 31, 2025, and who have no criminal record will initially be granted a one-year residence permit.
The residence permit will be renewable. The application process will open in April and remain available until the end of June. The plan also includes individuals who can provide proof that they have already applied for international protection (asylum).
Announcing the decision after Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Minister for Inclusion, Social Security and Migration Elma Saiz described it as a “historic day,” saying the move was aimed at breaking long-standing administrative barriers.
“We are strengthening a migration model based on human rights, integration and coexistence, which aligns with economic growth and social cohesion,” she said.
The decision follows pressure from the government’s former left-wing coalition partner, Podemos. Podemos leader Ione Belarra said the agreement creates conditions that allow undocumented people to work with full rights.
In recent years, Spain has taken a distinct approach to migration policy within Europe. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has previously stated that immigration is essential for sustaining economic growth and preserving the welfare state in a country facing demographic challenges.
Migrant rights organizations have welcomed the decision, saying it will allow undocumented people access to basic rights. However, opposition parties in Spain have strongly criticized the move. Conservative People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo claimed the policy would increase a “pull effect” and put additional pressure on public services, while the far-right Vox party has reacted aggressively against the decision.
Spain has previously implemented similar extraordinary regularization programs nine times between 1986 and 2005, through which more than one million migrants gained legal status. With this latest decision, thousands of undocumented Nepali migrants living in Spain are also expected to benefit.
According to a 2025 data-based report released this week by Spain’s research center Funcas, the number of irregular non-European migrants in Spain has reached approximately 840,000. The report states that around 760,000 of these migrants come from the Americas, with Colombians accounting for about 290,000, Peruvians around 110,000, and Hondurans about 90,000—the largest groups among them.
