Spanish Amnesty for Half a Million Undocumented Immigrants

Spain’s socialist-led coalition government has approved a decree granting amnesty to 500,000 undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers. According to a government minister who has championed the measure, the move will benefit Spain as a whole.

In April 2024, Samnytt reported that nearly 60,000 undocumented immigrants arrived in Spain during 2023, many coming from ports in Morocco and West Africa. At that time, it was estimated that there were over six million migrants without Spanish citizenship in the country, of whom 90 percent, however, had residence permits. Most came from countries such as Morocco, the United Kingdom, Romania, China, Venezuela, Italy, and Colombia.

The amnesty is now confirmed, and the royal decree—which does not require parliamentary approval—is expected to come into force in April and will cover hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and individuals with “irregular status.”

To qualify, applicants must prove they do not have a criminal record and have lived in Spain for at least five months, or have applied for international protection, before December 31, 2025.

Elma Saiz, Minister for Inclusion, Social Security, and Migration, called the decision a “historic day” and added that the initiative is designed to “break the bureaucratic barriers of the past.” She also believes the decision benefits Spain as a whole.

– We are strengthening a migration model based on human rights, integration, and coexistence that is compatible with both economic growth and social cohesion, she said.

Elma Saiz. Photo: Ministry of the Presidency. Government of Spain

“We Need Migration”

Unlike much of the rest of Europe, Spain has taken the opposite path regarding immigration. In a speech to parliament in October 2024, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country was at a demographic crossroads and needed migration to grow the economy and maintain the welfare state.

– Throughout history, migration has been one of the great drivers of nations’ development, while hatred and xenophobia have been—and continue to be—the biggest destroyers of nations, he said.

– The key lies in managing it well.

The decision was not well received by the national-conservative Vox party, with party leader Santiago Abascal saying that “Sánchez hates the Spanish people” and “wants to replace them.” Vox would instead prefer repatriation.